KARACHI: Rangers Sindh Director General (DG) Major General Bilal Akbar on Tuesday expressed concern over attempts by some elements to interfere in the Baldia Town factory fire case investigation.

A high-level meeting was held at Rangers Headquarters Karachi, which was presided over by DG Rangers Sindh and attended by Sector Commanders and Rangers’ Intelligence.

According to a Rangers handout, during the meeting, the DG Rangers reviewed the sudden disappearance of accused Rizwan Quraishi, who was involved in the Baldia factory fire case. Maj-Gen Bilal Akbar also expressed his discomfort over threats being given to the bereaved families and ordered immediate arrest of all the accused involved in the incident.

Also read: Names of ‘MQM men’ blamed in Baldia fire JIT report placed on ECL

Rizwan Qureshi, whose statement in the JIT report gave a dramatic turn to the 2012 Baldia Town factory fire case, was marked an MQM activist in the report, but the party denies any association with him.

The JIT report was submitted to the Sindh High Court in February by an additional attorney general, along with a statement of the deputy assistant judge advocate general of the Pakistan Rangers, Sindh, Major Ashfaque Ahmed.

According to the JIT report, MQM worker Rizwan Qureshi revealed that a ‘well-known party high official’ had demanded Rs200 million as Bhatta (protection money) through his front-man from the owners of the garment factory, Ali Enterprises, in Aug 2012 and their denial led to the arson attack that claimed the lives of its 258 workers.

However, the SHC had ruled that the veracity and relevance of the JIT report was to be determined by the competent forum before which it be placed, and told the trial court to decide the Baldia Town factory inferno case within a year.

The Sindh home department had also set up a new investigation team to look into the incident with ‘all possibilities and angles’.

The official said the team, headed by additional IG Khadim Hussain Bhatti, had been set up on the recommendation of Sindh IG Ghulam Hyder Jamali.

“The other members of the team include DIG Mushtaq Mahar and an officer each from the Federal Investigation Agency and Pakistan Rangers, Sindh,” he added.

A devastating fire engulfed the multi-storey garment factory building in Baldia Town on the evening of Sept 11, 2012 and left over 250 workers dead.