ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday overturned the convictions of two MQM workers — Abdul Rehman Bhola, a former sector in-charge in the party’s organisational structure, and Zubair Chariya — for their alleged involvement in the Sept 11, 2012, Baldia factory fire in Karachi, which claimed more than 260 lives.
Headed by Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmed, a three-judge Supreme Court bench, also comprising Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi and Justice Shakeel Ahmad, set aside the death sentences awarded to the two accused by an anti-terrorism court (ATC) on charges of murder, extortion, arson and terrorism, granting them the benefit of the doubt.
It should be mentioned that in 2023, the Sindh High Court had upheld the death penalty handed down to the two workers.
While accepting the appeals of the two accused, the SC also indicated that the detailed judgment will be issued later and rejected a request to implead relatives of the deceased as parties in the case, remarking that if the court makes them parties in the matter, 200 more applications may come tomorrow.
More to follow.
