A Karachi court on Thursday issued bailable arrest warrants for 12 officials from civic utilities and agencies in the Mehran Town factory fire case.

The fire, allegedly caused by a short circuit, had engulfed the industrial unit, BM Luggage, in Mehran Town on August 27 killing 16 workers.

Initially, police had booked factory owner Hassan Meetha alias Ali Meetha, building owner Faisal Tariq, manager Syed Imran Ali Zaidi, supervisors Zafar and Rehan and watchman Syed Zarin for their alleged involvement in the incident.

Later, police had charge-sheeted the suspects along with labour department officer Muhammad Ali, Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) Deputy Director Korangi Abdul Sami, Karachi Development Authority (KDA) Deputy Director (Land) Irfan Hussain and Civil Defence Deputy Controller Shahabuddin in the final investigation report.

During today's hearing, the judicial magistrate (East) issued bailable arrest warrants for 12 key officers including K-Electric's general manager and head of new connections, KDA Deputy Director (Land) Irfan Hussain, KDA Executive Engineer Zahid Hussain, Civil Defence Director Safdar Ali and Deputy Controller Shahabuddin, SBCA Assistant Director Khawar Hayat, senior building inspector Salman Shahid and the deputy commissioner and the administrator of Korangi district.

The magistrate directed the investigation officer (IO) to ensure the arrest of these officials and produce them before the court.

On Sept 25, the IO had filed a final investigation report which held the SBCA Deputy Director Abdul Sami, KDA Deputy Director (Land) Irfan Hussain, Civil Defence Deputy Controller Shahabuddin and labour department officer Muhammad Ali responsible for the incident.

The IO had submitted that the factory was operating on a residential plot and no action was taken by the relevant officers of the SBCA, KDA, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, Civil Defence and they had failed to conduct inspections or raid the premises.

He had urged the court to invoke Section 119 (public servant concealing design to commit offence which it is his duty to prevent) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) against the public functionaries.

However, the judge had pointed out that the IO had deliberately omitted the names of Civil Defence Director Safdar Ali, the KE general manager and head of new connections, the Korangi deputy commissioner and administrator, KDA Executive Engineer Zahid Hussain, Sindh Environmental Protection Agency Deputy Director Muhammad Kamran Khan and fire official Ishtiaq Ahmed from the charge sheet.

A case was registered under Sections 322 (manslaughter) and 34 (common intention) of the PPC at the Korangi Industrial Area police station on behalf of the state through SHO Mohammad Tariq Arain.