Karachi fire: Factory owners granted bail

KARACHI: A judge in the Sindh High Court’s Larkana bench Friday granted protective bail to the owners of the factory where hundreds were burnt alive two days earlier, Geo News reported.

Earlier, a murder case was filed against owners and other members of the management of the apparel factory, which witnessed the worst industrial disaster in the history of Pakistan.

Police in the case registered on Thursday, said the owners -- Abdul Aziz, Arshad and Shahid Bhaila -- had shown "utter negligence" about workers' safety.

Abdul Aziz Bhaila, Arshad Bhaila, and Shahid Bhaila the proprietors of Ali Enterprise are charged with the murders of 259 factory workers.

The trio, who have not been arrested, appeared in the high court in
Larkana, 450 kilometres (300 miles) north of Karachi and were granted "protective bail" for eight days.

According to sources, they went to the Larkana court as they feared for their lives in Karachi, which came to a standstill on Thursday mourning the victims.

Justice Hasan Azhar Rizvi accepted their bail applications against the sureties of Rs500,000 each.

A court official confirmed the ruling, which means the trio cannot be arrested before September 22, and said the judge had ordered them to appear in court in Karachi before the bail expired.

"The court also directed the immigration officials to ensure they do not leave the country," the official added.

Up to 600 people were working in the building, which officials said was in poor condition without emergency exits, forcing dozens to jump from upper storeys to escape the flames. Others were trapped in the basement, where they perished.

The case has laid bare the dismal industrial safety standards, with badly-paid workers given little equipment to protect them from hazardous conditions.