PTI holds Sindh govt responsible for Mehran Town factory tragedy

Leader of Opposition in the Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Sheikh has held the Sindh government responsible for the fire incident in a factory in which 18 workers lost their lives, and demanded the registration of a murder case against the chief minister and other ministers concerned.

Sheikh, along with other party leaders, reached the Mehran Town of District Korangi on Saturday to condole with the bereaved family of Kashif, one of the victims of the horrific incident.

The PTI delegation offered fateha for the labourers who lost their lives in the sad incident, and assured the affected families of their assistance.

Speaking to media persons, Sheikh said the chief minister should take responsibility of the incident and resign. “A thorough investigation should be conducted to ascertain who allowed the construction of a factory in a residential area, and why safety guidelines issued by the Supreme Court in the aftermath of the Baldia Town factory incident were not complied with, and how the factory owner managed to get the NOC from the environment department?” he said.

He said that the mother of a victim complained that fire tenders arrived at the scene after two hours.

Sheikh said the federal government had provided 52 fire brigades for Karachi, but the relevant departments could not even operate them as they did not have drivers nor was there any arrangement of water to extinguish the fire.

He said it appeared that the provincial labour department, the Sindh Building Control Authority and the environment department had failed to dispose of their responsibilities, as after the passage of the 18th constitution amendment, all these matters were the responsibility of the provincial government.

“Statements of eyewitnesses and affected families indicated that the rulers of Sindh are more responsible than the company owners,” he said.

The Sindh government should immediately given compensation of Rs10 million for each deceased worker and provide government jobs to one relative of the victims, Sheikh demanded and said a murder case should be registered against Murad Ali Shah, Saeed Ghani, Murtaza Wahab and the provincial local government minister. “We will move the court on this issue as well.”

Murtaza Wahab as administrator KMC should have reached the spot at the earliest to lead the rescue and relief activities, but he preferred to please his boss Bilawal Zardari, who had to depart for Thatta, Sheikh said.

PTI MPA Raja Azhar, President PTI Korangi Gohar Khattak and others leaders accompanied him.