News
Saturday, September 15, 2012
SHC grants bails to Karachi fire factory owners
* Three factory-owners facing murder charges appear in court in Larkana; granted eight-day bail
* Court directs immigration officials to ensure they stay in country
KARACHI: Three factory owners facing murder charges over the deaths of 289 people in a huge fire in Karachi appeared in court on Friday to request pre-arrest bail, their lawyer said.
Workers burned to death or suffocated in the massive blaze that engulfed Ali Enterprises clothing factory, which made ready-to-wear clothes for export to Western retailers.
Police registered a murder case over the fire on Thursday, saying the owners – Abdul Aziz, Muhammad Arshad and Shahid Bhaila – had shown “utter negligence” about workers’ safety.
The trio, who have not been arrested, appeared in the court in Larkana and were granted “protective bail” for eight days, their lawyer Aamir Mansoor Qureshi told AFP.
He said they went to the Larkana court as they feared for their lives in Karachi, which came to a standstill on Thursday as a mark of respect for the victims of Pakistan’s worst ever industrial fire.
“We prayed to Justice Hasan Azhar Rizvi that we are willing to proceed through the legal course, and without a protective bail security repercussions were there,” Qureshi said.
A court official confirmed the ruling, which means the trio cannot be arrested before September 22, and said the judge had ordered them to appear in court in Karachi before the bail expired. “The court also directed the immigration officials to ensure they do not leave the country,” the official added. afpCourtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk