Training guns at rival Awami National Party (ANP) that holds the portfolio of Sindh Labor Ministry, Sindh’s Minister for Commerce and Industries Rauf Siddiqui stepped down from his post on Friday to allow a transparent and smooth inquiry into the deadly garment factory inferno. The resignation of the minister belonging to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement has been forwarded to the Sindh governor.
A deadly fire broke out at a garments factory on Tuesday, killing at least 289 workers, including 26 women and six children. Addressing a press conference at SITE Ltd office on Friday, Siddiqui said he personally inspected the site of the burnt factory and there appeared negligence on part of the owners who did not implement Labor Laws. “I have been saying that the department of commerce and industries is working as a facilitator by providing basic facilities like infrastructure, plots, utilities etc.
However, the Labor Department has the authority to ensure strict enforcement of laws and conduct routine inspection of the factories,” he added.
Factories can be established without prior NOC from the Department of Industries, however, there are some industries that need prior permission such as sugar, wine and nuclear factories. The Industries Department has only one inspection authority which is boiler inspection or the Boiler Act 1923/1941.
Meanwhile, the owners of Ali Enterprises handed themselves in to court on Friday to request pre-arrest bail. Police registered a murder case over the fire on Thursday, saying the owners — Abdul Aziz, Mohammad Arshad and Shahid Bhaila — had shown “utter negligence” about workers’ safety. The trio, who have not been arrested, appeared in the high court in Larkana, 450 kilometers north of Karachi and were granted “protective bail” for eight days, their lawyer Aamir Mansoor Qureshi said.
With elections just around the corner, the ANP minister should resign too!
he already resign because of PPP not taking on board o local bodies ordinance.
By the way this protective bail is given to them by typical city of PPP which is in alliance with MQM for last 5 years.All the departments which showed shear negligence is controlled by MQM and its workers and this party has inducted not real but many ghost workers in all departments which are under control of MQM for last 20 years.
Bacha bacha boota boota hal hamara janay hay
janay na janay gul hee na bagh tu sara janay hay.
Well spoke! You have captured the feelings of all Pakistanis. MQM, PPP,and ANP are ruling in Karachi de facto. But, de jure, it is MQM and its London based supremo Altaf Hussain calls the shots from the security of British protection in Mill Hill, London. Bhahta is collected from all factories in SITE area and Baldia. If it is not paid by factory owners, there lives, property, and their workers lives are threatened. The result of not paying bhahta results in loss of 290 lives, the factory owners, the MQM governor, the PPP Chief Ministers, all claim innocence. It is like Hitler saying gas chambers did not exist. Pakistan's corrupt politicians are now responsible for such tragedies. We should boot these scoundrels out in next elections. As a Karachiite, I am fed up with MQMs dada-giri.
Hats off to MQM….The First Example set by MQM in corrupt political culture of pakistan ….Showbazz should also rso resign to accept responsibility of Lahore fire accident which killed 35 workers . we hope media will also demand for his resignation otherwise media will rightly be considered partial .
A boot for MQM who nurture the Bhahta Khoor culture in Karachi. Extortion from SITE factory owners, corruption, incompetence, and negligence of MQM & PPP appointed "sifarishi tatoo na-ahal," safety inspectors, collusion of MQM/PPP with factory owners, and total callous disregard for factory workers are the causes of this tragedy. "Kudos" and "Hats-off," to former MQM killers like Rauf Siddiqui, now turned Industries Ministers for hiding his guilt by acting as a "martyr by resignation." Munafiqat or hypocrisy is one of the worst sins in all faiths, and human secular regimes. Defenders of killers should keep this Hadith in mind:“Whoever among you sees an evil action, let him change it with his hand [by taking action]; if he cannot, then with his tongue [by speaking out]; and if he cannot, then with his heart [by hating it and feeling that it is wrong] – and that is the weakest of faith” (Narrated by Muslim, 49). Hats-off to MQM, my foot!
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