Supreme Court Acquits Two MQM Workers in Baldia Factory Fire Case
The Supreme Court on Wednesday overturned the convictions of two Muttahida Qaumi Movement Supreme Court Acquits Two MQM Workers in Baldia Factory Fire Case(MQM) workers in the Baldia Factory Fire case and set aside their death sentences. The court granted Abdul Rehman alias Bhola and Zubair alias Chariya the benefit of the doubt after reviewing the evidence presented against them.
The case stems from the devastating fire at the Ali Enterprises garment factory in Karachi’s Baldia Town on September 11, 2012. The blaze killed more than 260 workers and injured several others, making it the deadliest industrial disaster in Pakistan’s history.
A three-member Supreme Court bench, headed by Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmed, announced the verdict. Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi and Justice Shakeel Ahmad were also part of the bench.
Court Finds Gaps in Prosecution Case
An anti-terrorism court sentenced the two accused to death in September 2020 on charges of murder, extortion, arson, and terrorism. Later, the Sindh High Court upheld the convictions in 2023. However, both men challenged the verdict before the Supreme Court.
During the hearing, Justice Shahzad questioned key aspects of the prosecution’s case. He observed that only Zubair Chariya had a confessional statement on record, while no such statement existed against Abdul Rehman Bhola.
The judge also questioned why authorities did not challenge the acquittal of other co-accused if the alleged extortion demand involved multiple individuals. As a result, the court found sufficient grounds to extend the benefit of the doubt to the appellants.
Defense Raises Questions About Investigation
Senior lawyer Farogh Naseem argued that police falsely implicated the two accused. He said investigators named them in the case more than two years after the factory fire through a joint investigation team report.
The defense further argued that the report could not serve as reliable evidence for a death sentence. In addition, counsel highlighted alleged safety failures at the factory, including locked gates, blocked emergency exits, and iron grills on windows.
According to the defense, these shortcomings trapped workers inside the building and contributed to the high death toll. The Supreme Court accepted the appeals and announced that it would issue a detailed judgment at a later date.
