January 16, 2002	Wednesday	Ziqa’ad 1, 1422

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ISLAMABAD, Jan 15: Interior Minister Moinuddin Haider visited the Shaheed-i-Millat Secretariat on Tuesday evening to ascertain the damages caused by the fire, and directed the concerned officials to revamp the capital’s fire department to overcome its deficiencies, sources said.

The minister rushed to Islamabad from Lahore after learning about the tragic incident and headed straight to the site from the airport.

Senior district administration officials present on the occasion briefed the minister about the measures that were being taken to control the fire.

According to the sources, the minister directed the concerned officials to prepare new standing operating procedures (SOPs) to meet any eventuality in future.

Sources said the minister also noted a number of deficiencies on the occasion, including lack of effective coordination between the civil and the defence authorities, non-availability of latest fire-fighting equipment with the fire department, response time of authorities and the fact that the watergun and the ladder of the only fire engine could not reach the top floor of the building.

To a question, the sources said the interior minister would soon order an inquiry into the incident to fix responsibility.