March 14, 2024
LAHORE: In a shocking incident, dozens of ration bags, meant for deserving families under the Punjab government’s Ramadan Nigehban Relief Package, were looted in Lahore during the holy month of fasting.
The incident took place when a truck loaded with the ration bags reached Chowhang area of Lahore and started distributing the relief hampers among the deserving people.
Last month, the Punjab cabinet headed by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz unanimously approved the relief package 2024. As part of this comprehensive relief initiative, over 6.5 million relief hampers would be distributed directly to deserving individuals at their doorsteps.
Each hamper includes essential items such as a 10 kg bag of flour, 2 kg of rice, sugar, edible oil, and chickpea flour (besan).
In the video, people can be seen fighting over the ration bags and looting the hampers from the truck.
A stampede occurred when a large number of inflation-hit people gathered around the truck and tried to get the hamper by force.
According to police, a case has been registered against 12 unknown persons on a complaint filed by Patwari Asghar.
The case was registered against them on different charges, including theft, and interference in government affairs.
Last year, at least 11 people, all women and children, were killed during a stampede at a Ramadan food distribution centre in Karachi.
Several others were also injured in the stampede that occurred when hundreds of people panicked and started pushing each other to collect food outside a factory.