KARACHI, June 10: The Sindh High Court on Wednesday issued summons to defendants in five suits for recovery of damages instituted by a petrol pump fire victims and their heirs.

The plaintiffs, including mothers of the two deceased employees of the petrol pump, submitted through Advocate Nasir Maqsood that the victims were discharging their duties in the 'Select shop' of the pump in DHA on Dec 3, 2003, when a fire broke out in the afternoon. The rear wall and roof of the shop collapsed with a bang.

The explosion triggered fire in the pump's compressed natural gas (CNG) plant. The fire was brought under control after five to six hours. About 17 people, majority of them Shell employees, were injured. Nadeem Khan, Safeer Khan and Zafar Iqbal died of injuries they suffered within two weeks.

The plaintiffs attributed the accident to the defendants' negligence, default, wrongful act and dereliction of duty and sought a total sum of Rs 508.35 million as damages.

The Defence Housing Authority, Shell Pakistan, Sui Southern Gas and Green Fuels Company were cited as defendants and the court issued them summons for Sept 28. Zahir Shah, Farid Latif and Abdul Haleem claimed damages for the injuries received by them and Ms Shah Jehan and Nasim Begum for the loss of their sons.

DAMAGES SUIT: The court issued summons to the defendants in a suit instituted for Rs80 million in damages for malicious prosecution. Plaintiff Afzal Hussain Baloch submitted through Advocate Walid Ansari that three executives of a pharmaceutical concern implicated him in a false case over a land dispute.