ISLAMABAD, Sept 1: A huge fire broke out in the building of the privatisation ministry here on Friday morning and gutted records, equipment and furniture.

Security guards and staff of the ministry saw smoke bellowing out of the third floor of the EAC office building around 7.30 and alerted the city’s fire brigade.

Fire-fighters brought the blaze under control after three and a half hours, but by that time flames had consumed hundreds of files, furniture and photocopying machines kept in four cabins on the floor hall, witnesses said.

There were rumours that it was a ‘planned’ fire as some poeple wanted to destroy incriminatory evidences in respect of privatisation of Pakistan State Oil and Pakistan Steel Mills.

A privatisation ministry spokesman, however, quashed the rumours in a press release, saying that the fire had been caused by short circuiting and that “important records relating to all transactions remained completely safe”.

An official of the ministry speaking to Dawn on condition of anonymity confirmed that the record of Pakistan Steel Mills and Pakistan State Oil privatisation was safe becas files of only closed deals were kept in the record room.

He said files of vehicles and administrative affairs were burnt in the incident.

The office of the ministry was closed and after the fire had been put out, the ministry’s staff was asked to go home. Electricity supply to the building had not been restored till the filing of this report.