Fire victims blame Pakistan embassy for doing ‘too little’

Over twenty survivors of the Manama apartment fire, which killed at least 13 labourers from Bangladesh out of total 60 expatriate workers living in that building, blamed Pakistan embassy for showing cold shouldered response and doing nothing for them.

A group of labourers from Pakistan origin contacted the Pakistan embassy on Saturday morning where they have been allegedly told that the embassy had no funds but would try to get some support from philanthropist individuals and organisations.

“We are workers and not beggars and seeking help as we lost all belongings including clothes, ID cards, passports and even cash and now we have no shelter, no food and no work,” the group told the 24X7 News outside the Pakistan mission in Manama.

“This is our embassy and expatriate remit billions of dollars back home every year and if we are in emergency situation who will help us in the foreign country,” one of the fire victims said.

The five labourers who received burn injuries were seeking medical help from the embassy as the government hospital had released them after first aid and they have no resources for follow up visits or further medical care.

Maqsood Qadir Shah, Labour Attache at Pakistan Embassy in a statement said that the embassy had distributed blankets and other items donated by some NGOs and Pakistani organisations.

The bulk of items were donated by Migrant Workers Protection Society, Bahrain.

Pakistan embassy appealed for more donations.