State bound to protect life, enforce law, carry out fair probe, SC rules

The Supreme Court of Pakistan has characterized the 2012 Baldia Town factory fire, which claimed the lives of 260 workers and injured approximately 60 others, as a profoundly tragic event in the nation's history. In a detailed 39-page judgment, Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan highlighted that the victims were ordinary workers seeking to earn a living, many of whom never returned home alive.

The verdict explained the court's decision to overturn the convictions of two Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) workers, Abdul Rehman and Zubair, who had been sentenced to death for murder, extortion, arson, and terrorism. The court found that the prosecution failed to prove the charges against them beyond a reasonable doubt.

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The victims were ordinary workers who had entered the factory to earn their livelihood, but many of them never came out alive.

Justice Shahzad underscored the state's fundamental duty to protect human life and enforce safety regulations. He stressed the necessity of prompt, scientific, and impartial investigations to uncover the true cause of the tragedy and ensure accountability for those genuinely responsible. The court noted that while the initial First Information Report (FIR) named factory owners for safety lapses, the prosecution later alleged the fire was set deliberately after owners refused to pay extortion money to the MQM. However, the accused maintained they were scapegoats for their political party. The judgment cautioned against relying on probabilities or presumptions, emphasizing that convictions must be based on reliable and conclusive evidence.

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We are clear in our minds that if there is no reliable evidence or conclusive proof against the petitioners to establish the alleged motive or other charges, their convictions cannot be sustained merely on the basis of presumpti