Daily Times

KARACHI: Expressing extreme displeasure over the failure of police to arrest absconding suspects in the Baldia garment factory inferno case, an anti-terrorism court once again issued non-bailable warrants for their arrest on Monday.

The ATC-II judge issued directives to the federal interior ministry to issue red warrants for the arrest of absconders.

At the outset, the investigation officer told the court that he could not trace the absconding former chief of MQM Karachi Tanzeemi committee Hammad Siddiqui, his alleged front man and the then Baldia Town sector in-charge Abdul Rehman, alias Bhola, and three others.

He informed the judge that the absconding suspects were not in the country and requested the court to order issuance of red warrants for their arrest through Interpol.

The judge allowed the application filed by the factory owners, Abdul Aziz Bhaila and his sons Arshad and Shahid, through which they sought to be witnesses in the case.

After hearing both sides, the judge reserved its verdict on the bail plea of imprisoned accused Zubair which should be pronounced on the next hearing.

During hearing, Zubair alleged that the industrial unit’s general manager, Mansoor and employee Shahrukh ordered to lock all the factory’s doors and set it on fire.

The hearing was put off till Dec 19.

Earlier, the IO had informed the court that the names of absconders were placed on the ECL following its orders.

Over 250 workers were burnt alive in an ill-fated multi-storey garment factory in Baldia Town in September 2012. The reinvestigation of the incident in March last year by a joint investigation team revealed that the factory was set on fire after its owners failed to pay protection money.

The JIT had alleged that Hammad, Abdul Rehman, Ali Hasan, Umar Hasan, Abdul Sattar, Ms Iqbal Adeeb Khanum and four unidentified persons were behind the plot of setting the factory on fire.

It nominated 13 suspects, including the factory’s owners, gatekeeper and some other employees.

Subsequently, the police conducted investigation in light of the JIT and filed a supplementary investigation report charge sheeting Hammad Siddiqui, his alleged front man Abdul Rehman , other accomplices and the factory owners.