Islamabad, Sep 16 (IANS): Pakistani Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf has thanked Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh for his condolence message on the loss of lives in the fires in Karachi and Lahore.

"Your kind thoughts and expression of solidarity with the families of the victims and the people of Pakistan in this hour of grief are indeed a source of great strength and solace for us," Geo News quoted Ashraf as saying in a letter to Manmohan Singh.

On Sep 11, a fire enveloped a shoe factory in Lahore, killing at least 25 people. A few hours later, a massive blaze broke out in a garments factory in Karachi, leaving at least 289 people dead.

Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik Sunday rejected a preliminary report on the Karachi factory fire, saying the element of terrorism could not be ruled out.

During a visit to the site of the fire in Karachi, Malik said there was no confirmation in the report about the generator or boiler of the factory exploding and that simultaneous incidents of fire in Lahore and Karachi could be an act of terrorism.