After SC verdict, families of Baldia factory fire victims seek answers

KARACHI: The grieving families of the Baldia Town factory fire victims walked into the Karachi Press Club on Saturday along with labour organisations, wanting to know who they should hold responsible for the death of their loved ones. Holding tightly to the framed photographs of their dear father, son, husband, brother, sister or daughter, the families wanted to know why they had been fed lies for the past 14 years. The recent decision of the three-member bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan has reopened old wounds as the bench acquitted two Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) activists Abdul Rehman Bhola and Zubair alias Chariya of starting the fire in the factory on September 11, 2012. Both men were given the benefit of doubt by the court as out of approximately 400 witnesses, only one claimed to have seen one of the accused with a chemical bag, while none actually saw the fire being ignited. “It means that what the affected families and labour organisations have been saying from the very beginning, that the tragedy happened because of the criminal negligence of the factory owners and the failure of relevant government departments, which failed to enforce safety laws and conduct proper inspections, was true,” said Nasir Mansoor, General Secretary of the National Trade Union Federation (NTUF). Labour leaders and activists want case reopened for investigation into the failures of labour dept, fire services, EOBI, SESSI and other relevant bodies “Multiple individuals were acquitted throughout various stages of the case. The trial court initially acquitted certain MQM leaders who had been accused of extortion, while later the Sindh High Court also acquitted factory security guards and other employees. And, following the Supreme Court judgement, it now appears that no one is responsible for the deaths of more than 260 workers of the Baldia factory,” he pointed out. “It is also a fact that had the case not been framed as one of terrorism and extortion, the responsibilities