KARACHI, March 5: The Malir fire station which partially remains occupied by the rangers has, however, started its operations after a long lapse of nine years.

Naib Nazim Malir Town, Muhammad Waseem, told Dawn on Tuesday that the paramilitary force had recently given up possession of the offices and the parking facility of the fire station, but the residential block of the fire station was still under their possession.

He said the fire station had already commenced its operations, but a formal inauguration would be made by city Nazim Naimatullah Khan on Wednesday.

Nazim Malir Town, Azam Ali, said Malir had a properly running fire-station till 1994, when the rangers moved in and occupied the station’s premises. Consequently the fire-tenders and the staff were shifted to the nearby Shah Faisal fire station.

The rangers used the pretext of serious law and order situation for occupying the premises, town officials said.

According to the Naib Nazim of the town, following a news story about the illegal occupation the rangers had considered several alternative locations shown by the town administration, and a series of meetings between the rangers and the town officials had resulted in a partial withdrawal by the rangers a week ago; consequently the fire department staff, along with a fire-tender had moved in.

The Naib Nazim added that the premises had been repaired and whitewashed to restore their original appearance of a fire station.

The officials of the town expressed the hope that the rangers would also vacate the residential block of the vital civic facility which they had occupied for nine years (Malir has been without a fire station since then) and, despite the option for alternative arrangements, had refused to vacate the building which was purpose built for the fire station by the public works department.

Referring to the recent disturbances in Malir, the Naib Nazim of the town said that seven vehicles were totally gutted in separate incidents of arson, because fire-tenders failed to reach on time.

He said that recently a fire broke out in some dense bushes, it spread quickly and endangered an apartment complex, due to late arrival of help.

“Whenever any fire breaks out, we seek help from the fire stations of Shah Faisal Town and Landhi Town, naturally help always comes late, when the damage has been done,” he said.