SHC notices over removing section 302 from fire FIR
29 January, 2013
KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) has sought comments from Principal Secretary of Prime Minister of Pakistan, Director General Sindh Building Control Authority and other respondents in a petition against Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf for his alleged interference in the proceedings of the garment factory fire. The petitioners cited Director General Sindh Building Control Authority, Federation of Pakistan through the Principal Secretary of Prime Minister of Pakistan, Chief Secretary of Sindh, Secretary, Ministry of Labour, Home Secretary, Secretary Sindh Industrial Trading Estate, IGP Sindh, Chief Officer Karachi Metropolitan Corporation and Director General Sindh Environmental Protection Agency. The petitioners, non-governmental organisations, Pakistan Institute of Labor Education and Research (PILER), Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum, National Trade Union Federation, Hosiery Garments Textile and General Workers Union, submitted that in relation to the Baldia fire tragedy, an FIR No 343 of 2012 under sections 435/436/337/322/302/34, PPC, 1860, has been initiated by PS SITE B, Karachi against owners of factory. It was submitted that in a speech to the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) on December 29, 2012 the prime minister said that the authorities should reinvestigate the incident as no murder case was made out against the factory owners. The investigation officer (IO) submitted a supplementary charge sheet to the trial court after removing section 302 from it. They stated that numbers of notices were issued to the owners with regard to violations of building and factory laws, but no action was taken. An alarming fact was revealed to the SHC by the labour department that factory was not even registered with the Directorate of Labour, the petitioners stated. After preliminary hearing of case, headed Justice Maqbool Baqar issued notices to respondents and put off the hearing till February 14. End.
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