Hearing of Baldia fire case adjourned without progress

Court couldn’t record the statement of last witness due to absence of accuseds' counsels

KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) adjourned the hearing of the Baldia factory fire case without any progress on Thursday, due to the absence of the counsels for the prime suspects, Zubair alias Charya and Rehman alias Bhola.

During the hearing, jail officials presented Zubair and Rehman before the court. Special public prosecutor Sajid Mehboob Shaikh and Inspector Raja Jahangir also appeared before the court. However, Zubair’s counsel, Muhammad Tamrez Khan, and Rehman’s counsel, Advocate Mansoor, didn’t attend the hearing, due to which the court couldn’t record the statement of the last witness, Jahangir.

Consequently, the court adjourned the hearing, without any progress in the case, till November 14.

Jahangir was supposed to give his statement in court, which will now be recorded at the next hearing.

Baldia factory fire: The case in review

According to Sheikh, 768 persons had been included as witnesses in the case, of whom 399 have given statements to the court.

Naqeebullah murder case

Meanwhile, another ATC ordered the counsels of the accused in the Naqeebullah murder case to ensure attendance at the next hearing.

During the hearing, jail officials presented former Malir SSP Rao Anwar, DSP Qamar and other accused before the court.

As the hearing proceeded, Anwar’s counsel, advocate Amir Mansoob, requested the court to summon the witnesses. To this, the court remarked that while the witnesses are present, two of the counsels for the accused are absent, and declined Mansoob’s request.

Baldia Town, Bund Road victims remembered

Ordering the accused’s counsels to ensure attendance at the next hearing, the court adjourned the hearing till November 19.

Intezar murder case

During the hearing of another murder case, the counsels for the parties completed the arguments over a bail plea filed by one of the accused.

The bail plea was filed by an Anti-Car Lifting Cell official, Inspector Tariq Rahim, who, along with other officials, is accused of killing a citizen, Intezar.

Following the completion of the arguments, the court adjourned the hearing till November 13.

According to police, eight ACLC officials, accused of killing Intezar, have been arrested.