KARACHI: No trace of explosives was found in the sample of evidence collected from the Baldia factory — where around 259 workers had perished in a deadly fire in September 2012 — disclosed a chemical analysis report filed in an antiterrorism court.

The report was recently submitted to the ATC-VII, which is conducting the trial in the Baldia factory fire case.

Nine suspects, including the then Muttahida Qaumi Movement provincial minister for commerce and industries 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.

The report, filed by Rangers special public prosecutor Sajid Mehboob Shaikh, stated that the samples were collected during post-incident inspection of the Ali Enterprises industrial unit, adding that the same were tested at the EMARC Ordnance College, Malir Cantonment. The report mentioned that a series of tests were used to evaluate the depository of explosive contents on the samples but no explosive traces were found.

According to the report the tests were conducted to determine the presence of nine types of explosives, including RDX, TNT, DNT, picric acid, PETN, tetryl and AN. The report marked the result regarding presence of each explosive substance (in the samples) as negative and concluded that no explosive was found.

Meanwhile, the defence counsel for the accused cross-examined police Inspector Jahanzaib, who was the first investigating officer of the case.

The court summoned another IO of the case, SSP Sajid Sadozai, on the next date to appear to testify and fixed the matter for Oct 17.

Previously, the factory’s Dubai-based owner Arshad Bhaila had named and identified Rauf Siddiqui, Bhola, Zubair alias Chariya and four factory gatekeepers as accused.

Indictment deferred

An ATC on Wednesday deferred, for the sixth consecutive time, indictment of four detained accused in a case pertaining to the murder of a former Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader Ali Raza Abidi due to absence of the defence counsel.

Mohammad Farooq, Abdul Haseeb, Mohammad Ghazali and Abu Bakar have been charged with the murder of the former lawmaker, who was gunned down by motorcyclists outside his residence in Defence Housing Authority in December 2018.

The Counter-Terrorism Department had listed four others — Bilal, Hasnain, Faizan and Ghulam Mustafa alias Kali Charan — as absconders in the case, who have been declared as proclaimed offenders. The ATC-XI judge was set to frame charges against the accused persons, when three detained accused Farooq, Ghazali and Abu Bakar were produced from prison while Haseeb appeared on bail.

The special public prosecutor, investigating officer and the complainant’s counsel were present, but the defence counsel for the accused — Farooq, Ghazali and Abu Bakar — were absent.

The judge deferred indictment of the accused persons due to absence of the defence counsel, directing them to appear on the next date and fixed the matter for framing charge for Oct 22.

Suspects remanded

The administrative judge of the accountability courts on Wednesday remanded three suspects in judicial custody in a case pertaining to alleged tax evasion on imports.

The National Accountability Bureau detained a customs’ clearance agent Mohammad Idrees, transporter Imran Khan and another person over alleged evasion of customs duties on imported items.

On Wednesday, the IO produced them before the administrative judge Farid Anwar Qazi on expiry of their physical remand in NAB custody.

The judge remanded the suspects in judicial custody with direction to produce them on the next date along with an investigation report and fixed the matter for Oct 23.

Published in Dawn, October 10th, 2019