Islamabad: A fire broke out at the Supreme Court of Pakistan building on Friday evening, sending smoke through its administrative block before firefighters brought the blaze under control.
According to rescue officials, the fire originated on the ground floor of the administrative block. Fire brigade vehicles were dispatched to the court soon after authorities were alerted to the incident.
Sources said the blaze erupted at around 6:35pm, with the first fire engine arriving approximately five minutes later. Rescue personnel managed to extinguish the fire in about 35 minutes, although smoke remained inside the administrative block afterwards.
Initial reports suggested that an electrical short circuit may have caused the fire.
The emergency response was reportedly delayed briefly because police stopped firefighters at the Supreme Court’s main gate in accordance with security standard operating procedures. The fire crews were permitted to enter after receiving clearance from the court administration.
“We are getting late because of them,” a fire brigade official was heard saying during the delay.
Sources said personnel from WAPDA who arrived at the premises to investigate the possible cause of the blaze were also initially stopped by police.
No casualties were immediately reported.
The incident remained confined to the ground floor of the administrative block, while smoke lingered in the building after firefighters had brought the situation under control.