Baldia factory fire: ‘New charge sheet in a week’

Court informed that work completed to include Anti-Terrorism Act clause in the case

KARACHI: Police told a district and sessions court on Saturday that they have completed the necessary work to include an Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) clause in the Baldia factory fire case in light of the recent joint investigation team's (JIT) report, while a new charge sheet will be submitted in a week.

The statement about the fate of the case of 260 labourers' deaths came six months after the JIT report landed in court. The report finds the fire incident at Ali Enterprises garment factory in Baldia Town on September 11, 2012, as an arson attack over non-payment of extortion money. The new investigations suggest that Ali Enterprises was set on fire by some miscreants belonging to Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) after the factory owners refused to pay them extortion money said to be Rs200million. Some top leaders and a then minister of the MQM were involved in the incident and in the aftermath influenced the case to save their skin, according to the investigators.

Sub-inspector Farooq, who appeared on behalf of the investigation officer, told West district's additional sessions judge that the authorities were convinced to take forward the case in light of the JIT report. For this, a new charge sheet reading the case with section seven of the ATA and inclusive of the names of proposed suspects will be registered with the relevant court, the sub-inspector added.

The new charge sheet will be brought up before the anti-terrorism courts' administrative judge, who after scrutinising will refer it to an anti-terrorism court for conduction of trial. Section 19(7) of ATA reads that a case shall be decided within seven days of the cognisance.

Meanwhile, the lawyer defending the accused factory owners Abdul Aziz Bhaila and his sons, Shahid and Arshad, moved an exemption plea on behalf of his clients and said that they were abroad for medical treatment. The judge, however, expressed displeasure and remarked that they should be deemed absent for continuously avoiding the hearing.

The court was again adjourned till August 20. It has been almost four years that the trial has been facing delays of some sort. A case, though not similar to this, has also been filed by the Baldia fire victims' families in a German court against a European clothing discounter, KiK, for compensation, which it is now refusing.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 14^th, 2016.