DO accused of overstepping authority as staff appeal to government top brass to intervene
RAWALPINDI:
Rescue 1122, the life-saving emergency service operating in Rawalpindi, has come under heavy criticism following an alleged serious administrative violation, after lockers provided by the Punjab government for the convenience of rescue personnel were forcibly broken and personal belongings kept inside were set on fire without warning or legal justification.
District 1122 rescue officer Sibghatullah is accused of exceeding his authority by ordering the forcible breaking of lockers and the destruction of items belonging to rescuers. As a result, the personal belongings of more than 100 rescue workers were seriously and deliberately damaged.
Several affected rescue personnel, who claim to have been victims of alleged excesses of authority and fear repercussions from senior officers, spoke to The Express PAkGazette on condition of anonymity.
An concerned official gave details of the incident and claimed that the Punjab government had installed more than 60 lockers at the central rescue station, Chandni Chowk, to facilitate emergency services.
The purpose of these lockers was to allow personnel quickly responding to emergency calls to safely store their personal belongings, mobile phones, important documents, uniforms and rescue kits, ensuring their valuables remained safe during operations.
The official explained that each locker could be shared by two people and that nearly 100 or more rescuers kept their personal and valuable items in these lockers, the keys to which remained in their possession.
However, two days ago, District Officer Sibghatullah allegedly gave verbal orders, without any prior intimation or written notification to the locker owners, for all lockers to be opened and their contents thrown out.
According to reports, following these orders, Emergency Officer Hamza Ali instructed the staff at Chandni Chowk station to comply with the directive.
Rescue personnel later learned of the incident, causing widespread concern and distress.
Responding to the allegations, a Rescue 1122 spokesperson stated that the lockers had also been broken on previous occasions and that this was not the first incident of its kind. The spokesperson said officers had received information suggesting that, in addition to personal belongings, some lockers contained illegal items. He added that the difference this time was that the locker owners were not informed in advance.
Clarifying further, the spokesperson said that District Officer Sibghatullah had directed the staff to inform all locker holders in a timely manner so that they could empty their lockers beforehand, but the staff at the District Officer’s office did not forcefully convey the message.
