By Aamir Latif
KARACHI, Pakistan
A factory fire that killed more than 250 people in Pakistani city Karachi two years ago was a deliberate act of arson, according to a report revealed Friday.
The findings were submitted to the provincial Sindh High Court by an official paramilitary, known as the Rangers, that assists in policing of southern city Karachi.
It claimed that a faction of a political party was behind the September 2012 fire, which was one of the worst industrial disasters in Pakistan's history.
The report, compiled by several intelligence and security agencies, said a political activist had confessed to having a role in planning and executing the arson attack.
The Rangers did not name any political party, telling the court that doing so could affecting ongoing investigations.
The paramilitary force also requested the court not to make the details of the report public “because of the sensitivity of the matter.”
A 2013 judicial probe into the incident highlighted a lack of emergency exits, poor safety training and the bad inspections of industrial units as reasons for the tragedy.
The European Parliament also asked major brands to re-examine their supply chains in Pakistan and urged the Pakistan government to establish an effective monitoring system.
