KARACHI: The provincial government has formed a body led by the deputy commissioner of west district to probe three huge fire incidents — in a garments factory in SITE, a rice warehouse at Hawkesbay and a tyre warehouse in Gulbai — took place on Friday that caused huge financial losses.

Karachi-West SSP Pir Mohammed Shah, who is also a member of the probe body, speaking at a press conference at his office and later on speaking to Dawn on Sunday said that they held the first meeting of the body on Sunday and decided to collect samples, which would be sent to laboratories in Punjab and Karachi to ascertain the possibility of sabotage behind these fires.

These samples would also be sent to electrical department and for chemical analysis to detect explosives or chemical substances being used to ignite fires.

He said they had also decided to seek statements of witnesses and watchmen of those places.

Replying to a question, Pir Mohammed Shah said that so far no clues to possibility of sabotage had emerged.

He revealed that the fire in the textile industrial unit, which erupted on its third floor, might have been caused by a short circuit.

Answering another question, the SSP West said after kidnapping of a young lawyer and son of the chief justice of Sindh High Court, Awais Ali Shah, the police had set up checkpoints at six different routes leading to Hub, Balochistan, in order to prevent kidnappers from taking the kidnap victim out of Karachi.

Pir Mohammed Shah, who is also a member of the body probing targeted killing of renowned qawwal Amjad Sabri, told Dawn that they were questioning family friends, business partners and close associates of the slain qawwal.

He added that they had information about ‘financial matters’ as one of the possible motives for the murder, but added that at present it was a mere speculation. So far, no concrete evidence had emerged about the identity and motive of the killers, said SSP Shah.

Earlier, speaking at a press conference at his office, the senior police officer said that the police had arrested a suspect identified as Mukarab Khan allegedly involved in the targeted killing of a doctor, Mehmood, in 2013 in Manghopir.

He was also involved in other targeted killings.

The police also apprehended a man identified as Munawar, alias Manu, said to be a member of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (Abid Choto group).

Hailing from Waziristan, Munawar got training from Afghanistan and fought against security forces in Waziristan.

The SSP said that the police also arrested one alleged extortionist, Mujeeb Rehman, who had demanded extortion from a factory owner. Besides, the police also detained several suspects involved in street crimes in Manghopir, SITE, Ittehad Town and Pirabad.

Published in Dawn, June 27th, 2016