Supreme Court Overturns Convictions of Two MQM Workers in 2012 Baldia Factory Fire Case
Pakistan's Supreme Court has overturned the death sentences of two MQM party workers convicted in connection with the September 2012 Baldia factory fire in Karachi that killed over 260 people. The three-judge bench granted the accused the benefit of the doubt, reversing a 2023 Sindh High Court decision that had upheld their death penalties. The ruling is significant as it represents a major development in one of Pakistan's deadliest industrial disasters and raises questions about the evidence and legal proceedings in the case.
A three-judge Supreme Court bench headed by Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmed overturned the convictions and death sentences of Abdul Rehman Bhola and Zubair Chariya, both MQM workers, in the Baldia factory fire case. The two men had been convicted by an anti-terrorism court on charges of murder, extortion, arson, and terrorism related to the September 11, 2012 fire that killed more than 260 people in Karachi. The Supreme Court's decision reversed a 2023 Sindh High Court ruling that had upheld their death sentences. The bench granted the accused the benefit of the doubt, though the detailed judgment is expected to be issued later. The court also rejected a request to include relatives of the deceased as parties in the case, citing concerns about potential precedent.
What's missing
The sources do not provide details about the specific grounds on which the Supreme Court found reasonable doubt, the nature of the evidence presented at trial, or the broader context of investigations into other potential suspects or parties involved in the fire.
What different sources said
- DawnCenter
SC overturns convictions of two MQM workers in Karachi’s Baldia factory fire case
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