The inquiry report into the Hattar Industrial Estate blast has been sent to the KP chief secretary but has not yet been made public. Political leaders have called for compensation, accountability and disclosure of the findings.
HARIPUR: The fact-finding report into the Hattar Industrial Estate explosion has still not been released publicly, although it has been forwarded to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief secretary, according to information cited in the report.
The report said the Hazara commissioner has sent the findings to the chief secretary and the secretary industries for further review with the assistance of a technical team to establish the actual causes of the blast and determine responsibility.
The delay has drawn criticism from residents and civil society groups, who have questioned why the cause of the explosion has not been identified and why responsibility has not been fixed even after more than two weeks.
Political leaders call for justice and accountability
When contacted, PTI leader Yusuf Ayub Khan said the affected families should receive complete support until justice is served. He said the provincial cabinet had approved Rs30 million in financial assistance for the victims, including Rs2.5 million for each deceased person and Rs1 million for each injured person, and added that the amount would be released within 10 days.
Yusuf Ayub Khan also said that, on the chief minister’s special interest, a Rs10 billion transport project from Hattar Industrial Estate to Mansehra would be launched soon. According to him, the plan includes Rs6 billion for electric buses and Rs4 billion for terminal infrastructure.
He said the commissioner had sought the report within 24 hours under the supervision of the Haripur deputy commissioner, but it had still not been made public even after 16 days. He described the incident as a major tragedy in which eight members of a single family were killed and 10 others were injured.
He further said his party stood with the victims and would ensure their concerns reached the chief secretary. He warned that if justice was delayed, protest remained a constitutional right and that a strategy would be worked out in consultation with the affected families.
PML-N MNA Babar Nawaz Khan said that anyone found responsible in the inquiry should face legal proceedings.
Cause of explosion remains under discussion
The explosion at Hattar Industrial Estate has been widely discussed, with reports saying it involved a Sui gas main transmission line. The report said some accounts pointed to possible acidic discharge from nearby factories, while others suggested a gas leak. It added that affected families had said their complaints to authorities had gone unheard.
PTI parliamentary leader MPA Akbar Ayub Khan also raised the matter on the floor of the provincial assembly, calling for the causes to be identified and for those responsible to be held accountable so that justice could be provided to the bereaved families and similar incidents could be prevented in the future.
The continued non-disclosure of the inquiry findings has intensified concern in the area, as questions persist over what caused the blast and when the official report will be made public.
