Karachi: An investigating team probing Pakistan’s worst industrial fire, in which 250 workers were killed, has sought permission from authorities to call the owners of the factory back home from abroad.
Sources said the owners of the garment factory, Abdul Aziz, Shahid Bhaila and Arshad Bhaila, had been living abroad for many months and they were required to be in the country so that the joint investigation team (JIT) could interview them.
The government had constituted the JIT in February this year into the 2012 Baldia Town factory fire that burnt 250 workers of the factory to become the worst ever industrial accident in the country.
The JIT comprises Khadim Hussain Bhatti, the additional inspector general of Sindh police, Shahid Hayat, the director Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and Mushtaq Mahar, the deputy inspector-general of Sindh.
The JIT was formed following a report that claimed workers of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) were involved in the fire incident. One Rizwan Qureshi allegedly told investigators that he, along with hisr accomplices, set the factory on fire after the owners refused to pay Rs200 million (Dh7.2 million) in extortion fees.
The MQM rejected the claims.
The JIT, which was ordered to furnish its report at the soonest, has not been able to complete the report without interviewing the owners of the factory.
The JIT has informed the authorities that they have sent many messages to the owners to come back home and record their statement. However, all the messages remained unanswered.
Meanwhile, jail authorities on Tuesday set free Aamir Khan, the senior MQM leader, who was granted bail on Monday by an anti-terrorism court (ATC).
Khan, who was arrested by the Rangers on March 11 during their raid on the party headquarters, was asked during interrogations to explain his position regarding sheltering the terrorists and murder convicts.
The ATC judge granted the bail to Khan for Rs1 million surety bond saying the investigators had not much convincing material to keep Khan for further investigation.
