Karachi factory inferno: Shah for sending Baldia fire case to military court

Says death of over 250 people and allegations in JIT report call for speedy trial

ISLAMABAD: Amid growing pressure to take action against those responsible for burning to death 259 people in Baldia factory inferno, Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Khursheed Shah has asked the government to recommend the case to military courts for speedy trial of the accused persons.

The inferno was a great human tragedy and given the nature of allegations levelled in the Joint Interrogation Team report, this case should be referred to the military courts, said the PPP leader on Monday.

He was speaking to journalists after a Public Accounts Committee meeting that had to be postponed due to lack of quorum.

Following Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Jamaat-e-Islami, PPP is the third mainstream political party that has raised voice against the incident that according to it was no less than a terrorist act, demanding to bring the culprits to justice.

To a question whether his party that is ruling the Sindh province, would immediately forward the case to the military courts, Shah said that it was the joint responsibility of the federal and provincial governments.

The military courts have been recently established for a limited period through an amendment in the Constitution aimed at bringing what the government calls jet black (hardcore) terrorists to justice in the quickest possible time.

In September 2012, at least 259 people were burnt alive in the inferno at Ali Enterprises in Baldia Town, Karachi. At first, the incident was reported as a mishap caused by short circuit in faulty electricity wiring.But three years later, it was labelled a terrorist activity, with the JIT report alleging MQM men’s hand in it.

The JIT was submitted by the Rangers to the Sindh High Court over the Baldia factory fire.

However, the MQM has termed the JIT report a propaganda against the party and decided to challenge it in court.

The opposition leader advised the MQM to take the matter to the Supreme Court, if it was not in agreement with the JIT findings.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 10^th, 2015.