KARACHI: An antiterrorism court on Saturday directed the West range SSP to provide adequate security to a former investigating officer of the high-profile Baldia factory fire case.

The ATC-VI judge, who is conducting the trial in the judicial complex inside the Karachi central prison, passed this order on an application moved by Sub-Inspector Jahanzeb.

The police official submitted in his plea that he was the former IO of the Baldia factory fire case and was recently receiving threatening phone calls from unidentified persons over his engagement in the high-profile trial.

He pleaded to direct the police high-ups to provide him adequate security due to threats to his life.

The special public prosecutor for Rangers, Sajid Mehboob Sheikh, informed the court that all-out help and protection would be provided to the police official, who was reportedly facing security threats.

He also held out an assurance that the Rangers would help in tracing the anonymous callers, who was/were hurling such threats at him.

Allowing the application, the court directed the West range SSP to ensure adequate security was provided to the police official.

Nine accused — including Muttahida Qaumi Movement lawmaker Rauf Siddiqui; Abdul Rehman, alias Bhola; and Zubair, alias Chariya — have been charged with setting ablaze a garments factory in Baldia Town with the help of its four gatekeepers — Shahrukh, Fazal Ahmed, Arshad Mehmood and Ali Mohammad.

The prosecution claimed that the suspects acted on the instruction of the then head of the MQM Karachi Tanzeemi Committee Hammad Siddiqui, after the factory owners did not pay protection money.

Published in Dawn, October 15th, 2018