claims the verdict “suffers from the deficiency of ignoring eyewitness, medical and other evidence”
About 260 people were killed and several others were injured in the Baldia factory fire on September 11, 2012. PHOTO: FILE
KARACHI:
The Sindh government on Wednesday filed a revision petition in the Supreme Court’s Karachi registrar against the verdict ordering the acquittal and release of the accused in the Baldia factory fire case.
On June 10, the SC acquitted two MQM workers, Rehman Bhola and Zubair Chariya, in the Baldia Town factory fire case, setting aside the death sentences awarded to them by a trial court and later upheld by the Sindh High Court (SHC). The court had overruled the judgments of the Anti-Terrorism Court by extending the benefit of doubt to them.
The petition for review was filed by Sindh Attorney General Shabbir Shah. In the petition, the Sindh government requested the SC to reconsider its verdict.
The petition raised the legal question of whether Article 188 of the Constitution applies to a sentence that is “contrary to the facts and the law”. The Sindh government claimed that the verdict “suffers from the deficiency of ignoring eyewitness, medical and other evidence”.
The petition also questioned whether the legal heirs of the victims could challenge the acquittal of convicted persons under the Anti-Terrorism Act. It raised further objections regarding the application of Article 4 and 17 of the Qanun-e-Shahadat Ordinance, 1984.
According to the petition, the verdict also ignored evidence from injured witnesses and experts regarding the use of chemicals to start the fire.
On 11 September 2012, more than 260 workers were burnt alive in the multi-storey building of the Ali Enterprises garment factory in Baldia Town in what was the worst industrial disaster in the country’s history.
In 2023, the SHC dismissed appeals challenging the death sentences awarded to the two MQM activists after a special Anti-Terrorism Court upheld the death sentences awarded to them.
Read more: Chemical used in Baldia factory fire was ‘very’ flammable, says researcher
In its 46-page judgment, the SHC said the forensic report clearly showed that the factory fire was not caused by a short circuit. It further stated that evidence and testimony confirmed that Zubair Chariya had set fire to the factory.
According to the case, Abdul Rehman was associated with MQM as a sector in-charge while Zubair was an active worker in the city municipality. Both were present at the factory when the fire broke out.
