The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday expressed dissatisfaction with the federal government’s efforts to extradite Hammad Siddiqui, the prime accused in the 2012 Baldia factory fire case, which claimed over 260 lives of factory workers.
Justice Muhammad Karim Khan Agha, heading the constitutional bench, questioned why Siddiqui, a proclaimed offender, had not been brought back to Pakistan despite prior court orders.
“The court had ordered the extradition of Hammad Siddiqui. Why the accused, involved in the killing of 266 people, had not been brought back to the country,” Justice Muhammad Karim Khan Agha remarked.
The court inquired about those allegedly providing shelter to Siddiqui.
“It is incompetence of the Ministry of Interior,” the court remarked.
The court also highlighted the need for compliance with its directives, which included blocking Siddiqui’s national identity card (CNIC) and passport.
Despite these measures, no significant progress has been made in his extradition.
The Assistant Advocate General of Sindh told the court that the federal government is responsible for bringing back the accused.
However, Justice Agha called out the ministry for failing to act against a person accused of the deaths of 266 individuals.
It is pertinent to mention here that Baldia factory fire occurred on September 11, 2012, in Karachi’s Baldia Town area, which claimed the lives of over 260 factory workers.
In 2020, an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) sentenced Zubair alias Chariya and Abdul Rehman alias Bhola to death for their roles in the tragedy.
Four factory employees – Shahrukh, Fazal Ahmed, Arshad Mehmood, and Ali Mohammad – received life sentences, and one accused, Fazal Ahmed, died during imprisonment.
Source: ARY News
