KARACHI: An antiterrorism court on Wednesday deferred till Sept 16 the recording of statements of the Dubai-based owners of the Ali Enterprise — the Baldia Town factory in which over 250 workers died in a fire in 2012 — through videoconferencing.

Nine accused — including Muttahida Qaumi Movement lawmaker Rauf Siddiqui, Abdul Rehman alias Bhola and M. Zubair alias Chariya — have been charged with setting ablaze a garment factory in Baldia Town with the help of its four gatekeepers — Shahrukh, Fazal Ahmed, Arshad Mehmood and Ali Mohammad — on Sept 11, 2012.

Over 250 workers had perished in the deadly fire that engulfed the Ali Enterprises garments factory in Baldia Town on Sept 11, 2012.

On Wednesday, the ATC-VII judge was set to record the statements of factory’s owners — Shahid Bhaila and Arshad Bhaila — through videoconferencing from the Pakistan embassy in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Accused Rehman and Zubair were produced from prison while Mr Siddiqui, Ali Muhammad, Arshad Mehmood, Fazal Ahmed Jaan, Shahrukh Latif and Umer Hassan appeared in court on bail.

Police remand of two swimming coaches in student drowning case extended

However, the court was informed by the defence counsel that they had moved an application before the Sindh High Court challenging the trial court’s order of recording video testimony of both the owners.

The court was informed that the matter was fixed for hearing in the SHC for Sept 11 and requested it to adjourn the hearing till then.

Rangers’ special prosecutor Sajid Mehboob Shaikh agreed to the request.

The judge, who is conducting the trial in the judicial complex inside the central prison, deferred the recording of the owners’ statements till Sept 16.

A case was registered under Sections 302 (premeditated murder), 324 (attempte murder), 337 (shajjah), 384 (punishment for extortion), 385 (putting person in fear of injury in order to commit extortion), 386 (extortion by putting person in fear of death or of grievous hurt), 435 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to cause damage to amount of one hundred rupees), 436 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to destroy house), 34 (common intention), 109 (abetment) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with Section 7 (punishment for acts of terrorism) of the Anti-Terrorism Act at the SITE-B police station.

Remand extended

A court on Wednesday extended till Sept 6 the police remand of two coaches of a private school in a case pertaining to the death of a sixth grade student after drowning in the school’s swimming pool.

Police booked Principal Ainee Shehzad, head swimming coach Mumtaz Akbar and assistant swimming coach Saifullah of the Habib Public School for their alleged negligence that resulted in the death of 11-year-old Usman Durrani on Aug 27.

The investigating officer produced both the coaches before a judicial magistrate (west) on expiry of their physical remand and requested for an extension, saying that the investigation was still underway and other legal formalities were yet to be completed.

Principal Shehzad also appeared before the judge on pre-arrest bail.

Allowing the request, the judge extended their remand in police custody till Sept 6 and directed the IO to produce them on the next date along with an investigation report.

Published in Dawn, September 5th, 2019