Overview
- Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif issued a public apology and ordered severe punishment after a mother, Sadia, and her 10-month-old daughter, Rida Fatima, died in an open manhole near Lahore’s Bhati Gate.
- The provincial government is holding the construction contractor responsible for failing to ensure safety measures at the project site.
- Authorities initially dismissed reports of the Lahore incident as fake, which delayed rescue efforts for the victims.
- Reports say police detained the husband and others and allegedly used violence to coerce a confession, drawing condemnation of investigative practices.
- Fresh incidents were reported, including a three-year-old’s death in a Kasur wedding hall manhole and a separate Lahore child rescued from an uncovered drain, while police said five people were arrested in the Bhati Gate case.