Orient Labs: Charges to be framed against owners on May 30

Court forced to defer in absence of defence counsel.

LAHORE:

Additional District and Sessions Judge Malik Tariq Mehmood Zargham has deferred the framing of charges against the owners of Orient Labs until May 30 after their lawyer failed to turn up for Saturday’s hearing.

The owners of Orient Labs are to be tried in connection with the collapse of their factory on Multan Road last February in which 26 people, mostly workers, were killed.

The judge was to frame charges on Saturday, but the accused sought more time as their lawyer Khurram Latif Khosa was not present. Judge Zargham directed a junior lawyer of Khosa’s, who was present in the courtroom, to file for power of attorney on behalf of his clients before the next hearing because the charges would be framed then.

At the last hearing, three employees of Orient Lab submitted affidavits to the court in support of the company owners, stating that the factory was built in accordance with regulations and was subjected to regular inspections by government teams.

According to the FIR registered in Sabzazar police station, Orient Labs Chief Executive Zaheer Iqbal and Directors Zafar Iqbal and Zubair Iqbal, all brothers, are accused of offences under Sections 302 (murder), 324 (attempted murder), 290 (public nuisance), 291 (continued public nuisance), 427 (mischief) and 149 (collective responsibility) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 27^th, 2012.