Minister of State for Finance Salim Mandviwala on Wednesday disclosed that the case registered against the owners of Baldia Town factory has been withdrawn. Talking to reporters, the state minister said that the case was withdrawn on the orders of Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf. He said Prime Minister Ashraf had promised the office-bearers of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) to have the case withdrawn during his visit to the chamber. However, taking exception to the case’s withdrawal, Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad has asked President Asif Zardari to direct Prime Minister Ashraf not to withdraw the sections of murder included in the FIR [First Information Report] against the factory owners. Ebad has also directed the Sindh IG to reassign the investigation to the police officer previously assigned the probe. As many as 250 employees were burnt to death following the eruption of a fire in a garments factory in Baldia Town. It was dubbed as the worst fire incident in Pakistan’s history.
