The Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Police has lodged the First Information Report (FIR) of the Centaurus fire incident against unidentified suspects.
According to the FIR, a team of the Quick Response Force (QRF) of the ICT Police reached Centaurus at 4:10 PM on Sunday and saw its Tower A engulfed in fire.
The firefighters of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) along with Centaurus staff were already busy evacuating the people and containing the fire.
The FIR added that unidentified suspects set the opulent shopping and residential complex on fire. While their motive behind starting the fire remains unknown, they have been charged under Section 436 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
Section 436 of PPC states:
Whoever commits mischief by fire or any explosive substance, intending to cause, or knowing it to be likely that he will thereby cause, the destruction of any building which is ordinarily used as a place of worship or as a human dwelling or as a place for the custody of property shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment of either description for a term which [shall not be less than three years nor more than] ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.
Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner ICT has notified a seven-member fact-finding committee to determine the reasons behind the fire incident at Centaurus and present the initial findings in three days.
The committee is led by Additional District Magistrate ICT. It also comprises of Assistant Commissioner Industrial Area ICT, District Emergency Officer Rawalpindi, Director BCS CDA, Direct EM CDA, Additional Director EM CDA, and one co-opted member.
The committee will determine the cause of the fire and the extent of infrastructural damage. It will also ascertain whether the fire safety equipment and fire safety alarm system in the building were operational.