{
  "id": 12608052,
  "title": "SC dismisses Sindh govt's plea against acquittal of 2 MQM workers in Baldia factory fire case",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/sc-dismisses-sindh-govts-plea-against-acquittal-of-2-mqm-workers-in",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-07T10:24:48.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dawn - Pakistan",
    "slug": "dawn-pakistan",
    "url": "https://www.dawn.com/news/2035392/sc-dismisses-sindh-govts-plea-against-acquittal-of-2-mqm-workers-in-baldia-factory-fire-case"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday denied the Sindh government's petition seeking to reassess its June 10 decision that overturned the convictions of two MQM workers in the 2012 Baldia Town factory fire case. Over 260 workers, including 16 unidentified individuals, perished when the Ali Enterprises garment factory was engulfed in flames on September 11, 2012, marking the deadliest industrial disaster in Pakistan's history. In June, the SC had overturned the convictions of Abdul Rehman, known as Bhola, and Zubair, known as Chariya, on charges of murder, extortion, arson, and terrorism. The accused challenged a 2023 ruling by the Sindh High Court (SHC) that had upheld their death sentences. A three-judge SC bench, comprising Justices Malik Shahzad Ahmed Khan, Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi, and Shakeel Ahmed, heard the review petition filed by the Sindh government through Sindh Prosecutor General Shabbir Shah. The bench rejected the Sindh government's appeal to revisit its June 10 acquittal and dismissed a separate petition for erasing remarks from the June 10 decision about MQM. The detailed order is anticipated to be released soon. In their July petition, the Sindh government alleged that the June 10 judgment contained errors of fact, circumstance, confessional statements, and violations of vicarious liability and common object laws. They argued that the SC neglected evidence provided by key prosecution witnesses, such as the factory owner and a judicial magistrate. The court had previously described the Baldia Town factory fire as a \"tragic, painful and heart-rending disaster\" with 260 workers losing their lives and 60 others sustaining severe burns. The SC had cautioned that the prosecution must prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt, while ensuring that no innocent person was convicted based on assumptions or unreliable evidence. The court emphasized that offenders must face punishment when credible and convincing evidence exists. The SC also highlighted the contributions of the Muhajir community, emphasizing that individual criminal acts should not be used to tarnish an entire community or its representative political party without substantial evidence.",
  "summary": "ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday rejected the Sindh government’s petition seeking to revisit its June 10 decision overturning the convictions of two Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) workers for their alleged involvement in the deadly 2012 Baldia Town factory fire in Karachi. Over 260 workers, including 16 who could not be identified, were burnt alive when the multi-storey Ali…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Daily Times",
        "title": "SC rejects Sindh review plea in Baldia factory fire case",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/sc-rejects-sindh-review-plea-in-baldia-factory-fire-case",
        "published": "2026-10-07T08:33:24.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Dawn",
        "title": "SC dismisses Sindh govt's plea against acquittal of two MQM workers in Baldia factory fire case",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/sc-dismisses-sindh-govts-plea-against-acquittal-of-two-mqm-workers-in",
        "published": "2026-10-07T10:19:35.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}