Baldia factory fire: The case in review
Special public prosecutor says the case is nearing conclusion with only one more witness statement left to be recorded
FIle photo of the Baldia factory (PHOTO: FILE)
KARACHI:
The trial of the Baldia factory fire case has entered its final stage with the statement of only one more witness left to be recorded. The case was heard on Friday by Anti-Terrorism Court No. 7 at the Karachi Central Jail. The court heard the defence lawyers cross-examine the witness statement of SSP Sajid Sadozai who was the investigation officer for the third joint-investigation team of the case constituted in February 2015.
The Baldia factory fire is considered to be one of the deadliest industrial catastrophes. The fire at Ali Enterprise Garment Factory in Baldia Town on September 11, 2012, had resulted in the deaths of around 260 people and had left another 49 injures. The harrowing incident not only exposed the appalling working conditions for factory labourers but also served as a reminder of the lawlessness which prevailed in the city.
As the case enters its final stages, The Express Tribune reviews the developments in the trial so far.
SSP Sadozai records statement in Baldia Factory Fire case
Statements, claims thus far
According to Special Public Prosecutor Sajid Mehboob Shaikh, who represents the Rangers, the police had named 768 witnesses in the charge sheet. Of these, 368 witnesses were given up as they had been termed unnecessary for the case. Of the remaining witnesses, the statement of only one is left to be recorded before the court.
The prosecution maintains that the factory was set on fire by workers of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) because the factory's owners had refused to pay them extortion money.
On September 19, Arshad Bhaila, testified before the court. Bhaila told the court that workers of the MQM had asked him to pay either Rs250 million as extortion money or give 50 per cent shares of the profit generated in the business. Bhaila had told them that he was willing to pay Rs10 million.
Baldia Factory fire case nears conclusion
The case thus far is based on the findings of the JIT report which states that the incident was one of arson and the situation was compromised due to the time lapse in rescue measures. The report also disproved the alleged electric short circuit which previous investigations had claimed to be the source of the fire.
In his statement, SSP Sadozai said that earlier investigations had been conducted under pressure from the MQM which benefited from governmental and criminal influences at the time. The statement of the alleged hitman, Rizwan Qureshi, had paved the way for the investigation of the case to be re-opened for the third time, he said.
Rangers' report
According to a report submitted before the Sindh High Court by the Rangers in early 2015, Qureshi had narrated a scene describing how the fire occurred. Qureshi's statement implicated the MQM as the perpetrators behind the fire.
Qureshi's statement, though given in the summer of 2013, was made public two years later. By then, two prime suspects, Hammad Siddiqui and Abdul Rehman alias Bhola, had left the country.
Baldia factory fire: Owner narrates a harrowing tale of extortion, greed and carnage
Disregard for worker safety
Meanwhile, independent opinions suggest that regardless of the cause of the fire, the casualties occurred on such a massive scale because the factory lacked basic occupational health and safety standards. It is further said that the design of the building itself was flawed.
According to a London-based research group, Forensic Architecture, which carried out an analysis of the incident using computer simulation, inadequate safety measures at the factory led to the devastating death toll.
As it stands
Nine accused are currently under trial, including the then commerce and industries minister, Rauf Siddiqui of the MQM, some factory employees and private persons. Of the nine accused, Rehman alias Bhola and Zubair alias Charya are in jail, Siddiqui and Ali Hasan Qadri have been declared absconders by the court, while the other accused are out on bail.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 19th, 2019.
The trial of the Baldia factory fire case has entered its final stage with the statement of only one more witness left to be recorded. The case was heard on Friday by Anti-Terrorism Court No. 7 at the Karachi Central Jail. The court heard the defence lawyers cross-examine the witness statement of SSP Sajid Sadozai who was the investigation officer for the third joint-investigation team of the case constituted in February 2015.
The Baldia factory fire is considered to be one of the deadliest industrial catastrophes. The fire at Ali Enterprise Garment Factory in Baldia Town on September 11, 2012, had resulted in the deaths of around 260 people and had left another 49 injures. The harrowing incident not only exposed the appalling working conditions for factory labourers but also served as a reminder of the lawlessness which prevailed in the city.
As the case enters its final stages, The Express Tribune reviews the developments in the trial so far.
SSP Sadozai records statement in Baldia Factory Fire case
Statements, claims thus far
According to Special Public Prosecutor Sajid Mehboob Shaikh, who represents the Rangers, the police had named 768 witnesses in the charge sheet. Of these, 368 witnesses were given up as they had been termed unnecessary for the case. Of the remaining witnesses, the statement of only one is left to be recorded before the court.
The prosecution maintains that the factory was set on fire by workers of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) because the factory's owners had refused to pay them extortion money.
On September 19, Arshad Bhaila, testified before the court. Bhaila told the court that workers of the MQM had asked him to pay either Rs250 million as extortion money or give 50 per cent shares of the profit generated in the business. Bhaila had told them that he was willing to pay Rs10 million.
Baldia Factory fire case nears conclusion
The case thus far is based on the findings of the JIT report which states that the incident was one of arson and the situation was compromised due to the time lapse in rescue measures. The report also disproved the alleged electric short circuit which previous investigations had claimed to be the source of the fire.
In his statement, SSP Sadozai said that earlier investigations had been conducted under pressure from the MQM which benefited from governmental and criminal influences at the time. The statement of the alleged hitman, Rizwan Qureshi, had paved the way for the investigation of the case to be re-opened for the third time, he said.
Rangers' report
According to a report submitted before the Sindh High Court by the Rangers in early 2015, Qureshi had narrated a scene describing how the fire occurred. Qureshi's statement implicated the MQM as the perpetrators behind the fire.
Qureshi's statement, though given in the summer of 2013, was made public two years later. By then, two prime suspects, Hammad Siddiqui and Abdul Rehman alias Bhola, had left the country.
Baldia factory fire: Owner narrates a harrowing tale of extortion, greed and carnage
Disregard for worker safety
Meanwhile, independent opinions suggest that regardless of the cause of the fire, the casualties occurred on such a massive scale because the factory lacked basic occupational health and safety standards. It is further said that the design of the building itself was flawed.
According to a London-based research group, Forensic Architecture, which carried out an analysis of the incident using computer simulation, inadequate safety measures at the factory led to the devastating death toll.
As it stands
Nine accused are currently under trial, including the then commerce and industries minister, Rauf Siddiqui of the MQM, some factory employees and private persons. Of the nine accused, Rehman alias Bhola and Zubair alias Charya are in jail, Siddiqui and Ali Hasan Qadri have been declared absconders by the court, while the other accused are out on bail.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 19th, 2019.