KARACHI - The Sindh High Court on Monday issued notices to Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and others for February 14th for allegedly interfering in the Baldia factory fire case.

A local NGO had submitted a petition in the court requesting to take notice of interference by Prime Minister in the Baldia fire case and has asked the court to declare the interference as illegal.
The case filed against the owners of fire-struck garment factory in Baldia Town Karachi was withdrawn on the Prime Minister's discretion, State Minister for Finance Salim Mandviwala had said on Jan 23.
The petitioner argued that the Prime Minister had acted above the Constitution and the decision to withdraw a murder case was against provincial autonomy.
Justice Maqbool Baqir of the SHC, after hearing the petitioner's arguments, issued notices to Ayub Qazi, Principal Secretary to Prime Minister, Sindh government, Inspector General of Sindh Police, the owners of the fire-struck factory and others to appear in the court on Feb 14th and submit their replies.
A fire at the garment factory in Karachi's Baldia area had claimed at least 258 lives in September last year.