Baldia Factory Fire: Owners seek to testify via video link from Dubai

KARACHI: Rangers prosecutor submitted a petition of the factory owners in Anti Terrorism Court on Tuesday hearing the factory fire case in which more than 250 workers lost their lives, ARY News reported.

The factory owners in their plea fearing threat to their lives in Karachi pleaded to the court to record their testimony via video link from Dubai.

The court issued notices to Abdul Rehman alias Bhola, Zubair alias Chariya and other accused for July 4.

The case of September 11, 2012 incident took a new turn in February 2015 when Pakistan Rangers, Sindh, submitted a joint investigation team (JIT) report in the Sindh High Court (SHC), which revealed that the factory was set on fire after its owners failed to pay protection money.

Later, the police in its progress report informed the trial court in March 2016 that the factory fire was a planned terrorist act and the JIT had recommended that a new case be registered under the anti-terrorism law against the accused persons.

In a previous hearing prosecution witness immediately identified accused Rehman Bhola during identification parade.

During the case a witness had testified before the anti terrorism court that the factory was set on fire after its owners refused to pay extortion amount to a political party.

The blaze at the Ali Enterprises factory in Baldia Town of Karachi, had killed 258 people in one of Pakistan’s worst industrial disasters.