11 factories sealed over corona SOPs’ breach in Lahore

LAHORE: When the Lahore commissioner was busy holding flag march in the provincial capital under “Lahore Wear Masks” campaign, thousands of daily wage workers and labourers in neighboring Pattoki were waiting for their factories to open which were sealed by the Pattoki assistant commissioner for violating dengue and COVID-19 SOPs.

Pattoki AC Usama Niazi sealed eight factories and lodged FIRs against three factories on Monday last, resulting in spreading a panic among the industrialists besides closing down the stoves of thousands of daily wagers who were dependent on the daily work they did.

AC Pattoki made surprise inspection of various factories and found violation of dengue and COVID-19 SOPs there. Following this, the AC sealed eight factories, including Pattoki Sugar Mills, Minha Oil, Alfa Chemicals, Saphire Factory, Amir Textile, Gulistan factory, Diamond Foams and Warda whereas FIR was registered against three factories namely Big Bird, Family Atta and Haleb Milk.

Sources said there were more than 200 industrial units in Pattoki and many had resumed their businesses after a long gap created due to corona lockdown. Sources said thousands of daily wagers, labourers and other staff, worked in these factories and shutting down 11 major brands spread panic among the industrialists.

Sources added that after the operation by the Pattoki AC, the industrialists contacted Provincial Minister Mian Aslam Iqbal who called the AC and directed him to de-seal the factories but the he refused and both exchanged harsh words too with each other.

An industrialist, seeking anonymity, claimed that the district administration often used such tactics to extract money from local industrialists to complete local projects. He said a school was under construction in Pattoki for which the administration wanted donations from industrialists and those who refused to ‘pay’ were made example for others. He alleged that the Pattoki AC didn’t make proper inspection and passed sealing directions to the officials from outside the factories. On Tuesday the industrialists also contacted Lahore Division Commissioner Capt (Retd) Muhammad Usman who assured them that the sealed industries would be reopened soon.

When contacted, Pattoki AC Usama Niazi said that the industrialist mafia was playing with the lives of the factory workers as well as locals. He claimed that he visited every factory with proper team which included officials of Health Department and collected samples to check the presence of dengue larvae. He said only those factories were sealed where dengue larvae were found.

Answering to a question about the allegation of demand of donations for government projects, he said that if the administration was taking donations, such a big action could not be initiated. He termed these allegations blackmailing tactics of the industrialists.