The Supreme Court of Pakistan has issued its short order in the high-profile Baldia Town Factory fire case, acquitting the prime suspects and completely overturning the previous rulings of the Sindh High Court (SHC) and the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC). Delivering the verdict, a three-member bench headed by Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan acquitted the central figures, Abdul Rehman alias Bhola and Muhammad Zubair alias Charya, by granting them the benefit of the doubt. The apex court ruled that the prosecution failed to prove its case against the accused, including the suspects named later in the investigation, and was unable to establish the alleged motive behind the arson. Consequently, the court ordered the immediate release of the acquitted individuals, provided they are not wanted in any other ongoing criminal matter.
In the same order, the Supreme Court addressed the political ramifications of the case by disposing of a petition filed by MQM-Pakistan. The apex court declared the derogatory remarks made against the political party by the lower courts as entirely baseless and ordered them to be expunged from the record. Additionally, the court disposed of the appeals filed by the legal heirs of the victims, declaring them infructuous. The bench concluded the short order by stating that the detailed reasoning and comprehensive judgment regarding the case will be issued at a later date.
