Baldia factory fire case: JIT member summoned again by ATC

Team re-probed incident following revelations of extortion and arson factors in it

KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) summoned again on Tuesday the senior police official who was part of the joint investigation team (JIT) that re-probed the Baldia factory fire incident following the revealing of extortion and arson factors in it.

Two-hundred-and-sixty people were killed while several others were injured as a fire played havoc apparently due to alleged use of accelerants and lack of safety arrangements at the Ali Enterprises garments factory in Baldia Town on September 11, 2012.

The ATC-II judge asked SSP Sajid Sudozai's subordinate to tell him that he was a grade-18 government officer and if he continues to neglect court orders, non-bailable warrants of arrest will be issued for him.

Sudozai, through a low-ranking police officer, informed the court that he could not make it to the court for being busy with the by-election in PS-11 in Shikarpur, which is scheduled for October 20.

The judge questioned how he could be busy there given that his posting is in Kamber-Shahdadkot originally. The representing police officer clarified that Sudozai had recently been given the additional charge of Shikarpur SSP.

Meanwhile, the judge reprimanded the lawyer representing the factory owners, Abdul Aziz Bhaila and his sons Arshad and Shahid, for making changes in the written plea.

The matter discussed on a previous hearing was about exempting Bhailas, who are said to be residing abroad, from appearing in court. However, the judge said that in the written plea it was mentioned that the factory owners should be deemed as victims and not as suspects.

The judge told the lawyer that she was ready to exempt the factory owners from appearing and others who seek such order on medical ground but the 'victims not suspects' matter was subjected to the scrutiny of evidence during the trial. Over an application moved to appoint a nine-lawyer panel to assist prosecution, victims' lawyer Salahuddin Panhwar sought the court's order, on which the judge asked the other parties involved about their opinion.

One of the lawyers, however, opposed and insisted that the matter be adjourned till the next hearing since he had not read the contents of the application. The judge replied that a copy will be given to him and other sides within half an hour and they should argue on it keeping in view that 'such an important case involving 259 deaths' had been lingering over petty issues.

The judge gave Panhwar 30 minutes to provide copies of his application to the other sides. A break was taken. On the resumption, however, the matter could not be argued upon as the other sides maintained that time should be given to them to give the document a read.

The judge adjourned the hearing till November 7 and issued non-bailable warrants for two absconding suspects, Muttahida Qaumi Movement's ex-Karachi Tanzimi Committee chief, Hammad Siddiqi, and the party's former Baldia Town sector incharge, Rehman alias Bhola.

Seven of the suspects, nominated in the JIT report, including factory gatekeepers, other employees and a Hyderabad-based businessman, were present during the hearing. The factory owners were represented by a young member of their family.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 19^th, 2016.