KARACHI: Question mark over PNSC fire probe transparency
By Tahir Siddiqui
KARACHI, Aug 23: Investigations into the cause of Sunday’s fire that gutted portions of the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) building are under way but certain anomalies currently cast doubt over the transparency of the procedure.
A foreign forensic expert, reportedly appointed by the PNSC authorities, started investigations on Wednesday and has so far interviewed at least eight people who were present in the building when the fire broke out. The interviews were conducted in the presence of a three-member joint investigation team notified by the provincial home department, and the investigator has also photographed different areas of the ravaged building. The investigation team is comprised of officers from the police department, the Intelligence Bureau and Inter-Services Intelligence.
These developments cannot help but be contrasted with statements issued by the federal minister for ports and shipping, Babar Khan Ghauri, the day after the fire. Conceding that arson could not be ruled out, Mr Ghauri told journalists at the Karachi Press Club that a high-powered, 15-member investigation team headed by the IG Sindh would be constituted to investigate the incident. He further stated that in order to ensure the transparency of the process, the committee will not include any members of the PNSC. Furthermore, a team of experts from the Karachi Building Control Authority (KBCA) would examine the building’s structural safety, he said.
The weekend’s fire was the second to break out in the same building, and both incidents took place on Sundays when the building was mainly empty.
The police representative on the joint investigation team for the fire, SP Keamari Town Kamran Fazal, told Dawn that the team is waiting for the outcome of the investigations conducted by the foreign expert and commented that “it is yet to be ascertained whether or not the fire was intentional.”
It remains unclear why the investigation team and inquiry fall short of the standards of transparency and thoroughness laid out by Mr Ghauri.
Meanwhile, the seven-member KBCA committee, headed by KBCA chief Rauf Akhtar Farooqui, was unable to inspect the PNSC building on Thursday. Sources told Dawn that the inspection was put off at the request of the PNSC authorities. According to Mr Akhtar, the team will carry out the inspection at 10:30am today (Friday) and the committee would submit its report to the authorities within four or five days of the inspection.
The KBCA investigation team includes two structural engineers, Siddique Isa and Arif Qasim, two architects, structural engineer Mohammed Sami from the Pakistan Engineering Council, KBCA building controller Mohammed Arif and KBCA building structure controller, Mohammed Shafique. “We have also requested Dr. A.Q. Alvi, who designed the building’s structure in the early 70s, to accompany us during the inspection,” said Mr Akhtar.
When contacted federal minister for ports and shipping, Babar Ghauri, stated merely that the building is sealed for security reasons. “A foreign forensic expert is conducting investigations,” he said, adding that the authorities have prepared a list of everyone present in the building on Sunday.
