The Sindh High Court (SHC) has delivered its verdict on the appeals of MQM members Rehman Bhola and Zubair Chariya in the Baldia factory fire case, rejecting their appeals against the death sentences they received. The factory fire, which occurred on September 11, 2012, resulted in the tragic deaths of over 260 people and injuries to more than 300 in Karachi’s Baldia Town.
A division bench of the high court announced its decision on the appeals, declaring the life sentences of four factory employees—Shahrukh, Fazal Ahmed, Arshad Mehmood, and Ali Mohammad—as void.
In a significant development, MQM leader Rauf Siddiqui, who was then the provincial minister for commerce and industries, Abdul Sattar, Iqbal Adeeb Khanum, and Umar Hassan were exonerated from charges due to a lack of evidence.
The court also dismissed government appeals against the acquittal of these four accused.
The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) had previously issued its verdict on September 22, 2020, sentencing Zubair, also known as Chariya, and Abdul Rehman, known as Bhola, to death for their roles in the tragic factory fire. Alongside this, the ATC had handed life sentences to the four factory employees for their involvement in the incident. Unfortunately, one of the accused, Fazal Ahmed, passed away during his imprisonment.
The deadly factory fire had a devastating impact, causing the loss of 264 lives and injuring over 300 individuals.
The high court had admitted the appeals of these five convicts, challenging their sentences in the factory fire case. Today’s verdict marks an important development in the legal proceedings related to this tragic incident.
