MQM disowns ‘worker’ who blamed it for factory fire

Published February 8, 2015
MQM chief Altaf Hussain.— Photo courtesy MQM facebook official page
MQM chief Altaf Hussain.— Photo courtesy MQM facebook official page

KARACHI: Declaring that the man alleged to have set a Baldia Town factory on fire was not associated with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, the party’s coordination committee has demanded that the government should hang the person at the local roundabout in accordance with the law and Constitution.

A report submitted by a Rangers official in the Sindh High Court said that MQM was behind the fire incident that claimed the lives of at least 258 factory workers. The report was based on the information collected from an alleged MQM worker, Rizwan Qureshi.

The MQM committee said in a statement that the suspect, Rizwan Qureshi, was not its worker and the party had nothing to do with him. “The MQM has zero tolerance for terrorists, extortionists and criminal elements,” it said.

The committee said that after this clear denial the suspect should not be called an MQM worker.

‘Test case for govt’

Jamaat-i-Islami chief Sirajul Haq said on Saturday that the factory fire report was a test case for the government if it was sincere in taking action against those behind the brutal incident.

Speaking at a press conference here, he questioned the delay of more than a year in presenting the report before the court.

PTI Information Secretary Shireen Mazari said the revelations were “not surprising”. In a statement released in Islamabad on Saturday, she termed the factory fire “the deadliest incident of extortion by this political party in the urban centres of Sindh”.

Published in Dawn February 8th , 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play

Opinion

Editorial

Weathering the storm
Updated 29 Apr, 2024

Weathering the storm

Let 2024 be the year when we all proactively ensure that our communities are safeguarded and that the future is secure against the inevitable next storm.
Afghan repatriation
29 Apr, 2024

Afghan repatriation

COMPARED to the roughshod manner in which the caretaker set-up dealt with the issue, the elected government seems a...
Trying harder
29 Apr, 2024

Trying harder

IT is a relief that Pakistan managed to salvage some pride. Pakistan had taken the lead, then fell behind before...
Return to the helm
Updated 28 Apr, 2024

Return to the helm

With Nawaz Sharif as PML-N president, will we see more grievances being aired?
Unvaxxed & vulnerable
Updated 28 Apr, 2024

Unvaxxed & vulnerable

Even deadly mosquito-borne illnesses like dengue and malaria have vaccines, but they are virtually unheard of in Pakistan.
Gaza’s hell
Updated 28 Apr, 2024

Gaza’s hell

Perhaps Western ‘statesmen’ may moderate their policies if a significant percentage of voters punish them at the ballot box.