— DawnNews

Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Tuesday said his interior ministry should be given credit for bringing back one of the main suspects behind the 2012 Baldia factory fire in which 250 people died.

"Give the interior ministry some credit for bringing Rehman Bhola back," said Chaudhry Nisar at a press conference in Islamabad. "We strategised with Thai security agencies and they caught him from Bangkok where he went after he fled to Dubai from Pakistan."

Earlier: Baldia factory fire wanted frontman brought back to Karachi

Bangkok Police on Dec 4 had arrested Abdul Rehman, alias Bhola, the alleged frontman in the 2012 arson attack at Karachi's Baldia garment factory.

Abdul Rehman, 46, was detained at a hotel in Bangkok's red light district in the Nana area.

Pakistani authorities had named Abdul Rehman, who was then a sector in-charge of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), as the suspect who allegedly lit the fire.

Nisar today added that the Baldia factory fire was an incident of grave magnitude and its perpetrators should be brought to justice. "When criminals fled the country in the past they were never caught, give us some credit for catching him," the interior minister said.

"He is speaking and giving evidence that gives weight to the prosecution's case," Nisar said, talking about Bhola's initial questioning.

Talking about Javed Khanani and his hand in money laundering Nisar said, "When Altaf Kalia was arrested in America, I asked FIA to conduct an inquiry and we found out that previously an inquiry was conducted about him and Javed Khanani but was covered up, by the government of the time."

"I have been conducting a silent investigation with the FIA regarding these two for the past eight months, and the evidence of money laundering we are uncovering is such that books can be written about it," Nisar added.

The interior minister further said that the results of the investigation would be shared soon.

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