"This is Murder": CM Maryam Nawaz Orders Arrests After Mother and Infant Daughter Die in Lahore Manhole. -

In a swift and decisive action, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has ordered the immediate arrest and dismissal of several officials found responsible for the tragic deaths of a woman and her 10-month-old daughter in Lahore. The heart-wrenching incident occurred when Sadia (24) and her infant daughter Rida Fatima fell into an open manhole near Bhati Gate (close to Data Darbar) on Wednesday, January 28, 2026.

Accountability & Strict Action

Arrests Ordered: The Chief Minister ordered the arrest of four project officials: Project Manager Asghar Sindhu, Safety In-charge Daniyal, Site In-charge Ahmed Nawaz, and WASA official Usman Babar.
Dismissals from Service: She directed the immediate dismissal of Project Director Zahid Hussain and the WASA official, declaring they should never be rehired in any government post due to their “criminal negligence”.
Higher Responsibility: CM Maryam also held the Commissioner Lahore, Deputy Commissioner, LDA Director General, and WASA Managing Director equally responsible for the systemic failure.

Victim Support & Compensation

Financial Aid: The Chief Minister directed the responsible contractor to pay Rs 10 million (with some reports initially mentioning Rs 100m) as compensation to the deceased woman’s husband, Murtaza.
Livelihood Support: To ensure the family’s future, the government has been instructed to provide a taxi to the husband.

Public Safety Directives

Province-wide Audit: CM Maryam ordered that all open manholes and excavations across Punjab be secured and covered immediately.
Site Requirements: She mandated that all construction sites must be properly lit at night. Additionally, temporary wireless or mobile cameras must be installed at sites where Safe City cameras were removed.
Critical Remarks: During a briefing at the Lahore airport, she stated, “This is Punjab… not a place where someone falls and dies and no one cares,” labeling the negligence as nothing less than murder.

The bodies were recovered after a grueling rescue operation—Sadia’s body was found late Wednesday night on Outfall Road, while her daughter’s body was retrieved nearly 17 hours later at Saggian.