KARACHI: A number of air-conditioned studios and broadcasting rooms of Radio Pakistan were heavily damaged by a fire, which broke out in the broadcasting house, on Bunder Road, in the early hours of Friday morning. About a dozen fire-engines fought the flames and bought the fire under control in half an hour, but the mess was still smouldering till about 6-15 a.m.

The cause of the fire has not yet been ascertained but according to fire brigade sources, it is believed to have been caused by an electric short circuit. One eyewitness, living near the Broadcasting House … [said] that he heard loud reports, as caused by gunfire, at about 3-45 a.m. and rushed out to find the first floor rooms of the Broadcasting House in flames. The electric clocks on the premises stopped with the hands showing 03-50 hours — the time of the fire.

Damage has not yet been ascertained, but it is believed to be considerable, as most of the broadcasting equipment was engulfed in the flames.

Radio Pakistan broadcasts, however, continued without interruption. The news broadcast at 7 … came on time, though from a studio which was not sound-proof. Listeners could faintly hear the noise of screaming sirens in the background.—Agencies

Bhave attacks Purdah

BHITARBANDAR (Rangpur District): The Indian Sarvodaya leader, Acharya Vinoba Bhave, now on a “padyatra” through East Pakistan, has attacked the Purdah system. Speaking at a meeting at Rajganj on Sept 6, Acharya Bhave said the Purdah system was out of date.

He expressed his utter dislike for Purdah when he noticed that in his audience there was no woman. He said in his meetings in India, almost half, if not more, of the audience was constituted by women.

Every human being, man and woman alike, has the right to listen to good things and benefit by them, he said. It was necessary that women also attended his meetings and listened to “good things”. Mr Bhave yesterday renewed his appeal to the people to donate land for the landless peasants. — Staff Correspondent