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A group of three judges cancels the death penalties from a 2012 case.
BY Mahnoor | 11-06-2026
ISLAMABAD: On Wednesday, the Supreme Court cleared two MQM workers of all charges in the Baldia Town factory fire case. This decision cancels the death sentences previously given to them by lower courts.
On September 11, 2012, over 260 workers died in a fire at the Ali Enterprises garment factory in Baldia Town. This event was the worst industrial accident in Pakistan’s history.
A three-judge panel led by Justice Shahzad Malik announced its decision after hearing appeals from Abdul Rehman (also known as Bhola) and Zubair (also known as Chariya). The court accepted their appeals and gave them the benefit of the doubt.
Due to the evidence and legal issues in the case, the court ruled that the accused must be set free.
The court also dismissed a request to remove certain comments from the record, calling it unnecessary.
The court noted that because the original decision was canceled, those comments no longer have any legal power.
During the trial, the court pointed out many flaws in the prosecution’s evidence and legal arguments.
There were also concerns about some confessions and the political ties of some of the defendants.
The court also refused requests to add the families of the victims to the case. The judges said that adding too many people would make the legal process take much longer.
Justice Malik said the case became too complex because it mixed many political and legal issues. Meanwhile, Justice Shakeel Ahmad pointed out that some statements did not match the evidence.
In 2023, the Sindh High Court rejected appeals to overturn the death sentences of two MQM activists, following a previous decision by an Anti-Terrorism Court.
In a 46-page ruling, the court stated that forensic reports proved the factory fire was not caused by a short circuit. It also noted that evidence and witnesses confirmed Zubair Chariya started the fire.
Court records show that Abdul Rehman was a leader in the MQM, and Zubair worked for the local town government. Both were at the factory when the fire started.
The appeals argued that from the time of the incident until 2015, neither the police nor the factory owners reported or filed any case regarding the claimed extortion.
They also argued that the prosecution did not provide a report from Karachi University’s science lab to prove that the fire was caused by chemicals.
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