Lahore: At least 11 people, including women, have died while trying to get free flour from government distribution centers in Pakistan’s Punjab province in recent days. The officials said. The deaths came after scores of people flocked to government distribution centers after the cash-strapped Pakistani government launched a free lot scheme for the poor, particularly in Punjab province, to beat skyrocketing inflation. The scheme is aimed at countering the growing popularity of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan.
Two elderly women and a man were killed, while 60 others were injured in a stampede at free flour centers in four districts of south Punjab – Sahiwal, Bahawalpur, Muzaffargarh and Okara on Tuesday. Other districts where deaths have been reported are Fasailabad, Jahania and Multan. Police have been blamed for creating chaos at the centers by beating and lathi-charging citizens who waited in long queues for hours to get free lots.
Security forces also adopted a tough approach following the looting of free flour trucks in Muzaffarghar and Rahim Yar Khan cities. Punjab Acting Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Wednesday announced the opening of free lot centers across the province at 6 am to reduce congestion and inconvenience to citizens. In a meeting held at the Chief Minister’s office on Wednesday, it was decided that the provincial ministers and secretaries would spend the next three days in the assigned districts, visit the lot centers and assess the situation themselves.
Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Imran Khan has slammed the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government for mishandling the free lot centers and blamed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Acting Punjab Chief Minister Naqvi for the deaths of innocent people.