Baldia factory owners to record statements on August 21

ATC to issue amended indictment in case relating to May 12 incidents

KARACHI: In a major development in Baldia Factory fire case, an anti-terrorism court on Saturday decided to record the statements of factory owners through video link on August 21.

The special ATC-7 was hearing the case at Karachi Central Jail. Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM) leader Rauf Siddiqi and others appeared before the court. Jail officials presented accused Rehman alias Bhola and Zubair Chariya. Prosecutor of the case Sajid Mehboob Sheikh and IO Raja Jehangir also appeared before the court.

Arrangements have been made for recording the video statements of factory owners. The court fixed the date, August 21 for recording the statements of factory owners.

SSP Sajid Sadozai submitted on Saturday the actual JIT report of the case in the court. Statement of SSP Sajid Sadozai will be recorded after the video statement of Bhaila Brothers.

The court adjourned the hearing till August 21. According to the police, more than 250 people died when Baldia factory was set ablaze over refusal of owners to pay the extortion money.

Baldia factory was set on fire under a plan, says IO

Hate speech case

Another ATC ordered SSP Malir to ensure the presence of petitioner of the case on next hearing of the 23 cases of hate speech against MQM founder.

Accused Farooq Sattar, Khuwaja Izhar, Rauf Siddiqi, Rehan Hashmi, Qamar Mansoor and others appeared before the court. Petitioner of the case Javed Hussain didn't appear. The court expressed extreme annoyance over his absence.

The IO informed the court that the petitioner said he would come to the court only if security was provided to him. The court adjourned the hearing till August 23 and ordered SSP Malir to ensure the presence of petitioner on next hearing. Javed Hussain is the petitioner of the case which was registered in Qaidabad police station in 2015.

Amended indictment

A special ATC will issue amended indictment to two accused in seven cases pertaining to May 12 incidents on the next hearing on August 23.

The court provided copies of the case to accused Abdul Ahad and Haq Nawaz on last hearing. The court has already declared 18 accused as absconders. Cases against the accused are registered at various police stations of the city. 

Published in The Express Tribune, August 4^th, 2019.