14/06/2026
Hold Accountable for the Blood of 260 Workers
Accountability for the Real Responsible Parties of the Baldia Factory Fire and Justice for the Victims
Joint Press Conference of Victims of the Baldia Tragedy and Labour Organizations
Press Statement (Karachi) The recent judgment of the Honorable Supreme Court of Pakistan in the Baldia Town factory fire case has further strengthened our long-standing position that the true responsible parties for this tragic incident were the factory owners and those government institutions tasked with ensuring industrial safety and protecting workers’ lives.
Unfortunately, the course of the case was deliberately diverted in a specific direction to shield these responsible actors. As a result, not only were the real perpetrators spared accountability, but all legal avenues that could have brought the actual culprits to justice were effectively blocked.
We firmly believe that had there been effective accountability of those individuals and institutions involved in this horrific crime, and had they been punished according to law, the lives of millions of workers in thousands of small and large industrial units across the country would be significantly safer today. Unfortunately, this did not happen.
The blood of more than 260 workers still demands justice. These workers lost their lives in one of the worst industrial fire disasters in human history. Even more unjust is the fact that the powerful industrial lobby and institutional negligence were concealed, while public opinion was misled through narratives of extortion and terrorism.
Today, after the recent Supreme Court judgment, a more pressing question arises: why were the real responsible parties protected, and why have the affected families been denied justice even after fourteen years? These are the fundamental questions we place before the public, the media, the government, and all relevant institutions through this press conference.
Our Position on the Supreme Court Judgment
The recent decision of the three-member bench of the Supreme Court in the Baldia Town factory fire case (Ali Enterprises) has once again raised serious concerns regarding the investigation process and the delivery of justice.
The bench acquitted two key accused, Abdul Rehman Bhola and Zubair alias Chariya, by giving them the benefit of the doubt. Both had earlier been sentenced to death by the trial court. Following this judgment, it now appears as though no one is responsible for the deaths of more than 250 workers, and that no criminal negligence behind the tragedy could be proven.
Throughout various stages of the case, multiple individuals were acquitted. 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.
Position of Victims and Labour Organizations
From the very beginning, the affected families and labour organizations have maintained that the primary cause of this tragedy was the criminal negligence of factory owners and the failure of relevant government departments to enforce safety laws and conduct proper inspections.
In our view, during the political and administrative developments in Karachi around 2015, the direction of this case was fundamentally altered and given a political dimension. This shift benefited the industrial lobby the most, as industrialists did not want fire safety inspections and compliance checks to expose the reality that many factories were effectively operating under prison-like conditions.
We have consistently raised serious concerns regarding the weak prosecution evidence. Out of approximately 400 witnesses, only one claimed to have seen an accused throwing a chemical bag, while no witness actually saw the fire being ignited.
Furthermore, the forensic report relied upon in the case was prepared nearly three years after the incident. Samples were collected from an open and contaminated site, and the report merely suggested that human involvement in the fire “may have been possible.”
Similarly, the judicial confession of the accused was not voluntary and was later retracted. Our position is that no conviction can be justified on such weak and unreliable evidence.
Various investigative bodies and international reports have indicated that a large number of workers died not only due to the fire itself but because factory exits and windows were locked and sealed. Under the pretext of preventing theft, workers were effectively forced to work inside a sealed and trapped building.
In addition, an illegal wooden mezzanine floor had been constructed inside the factory, which collapsed during the fire and further increased the number of casualties.
It is a matter of record that the factory owners did not provide any direct compensation to the victims. The monthly pension system established for the affected families was made possible through the continuous efforts of labour organizations, lawyers, and international solidarity networks.
Through the efforts of organizations such as the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR), Clean Clothes Campaign, IndustriALL Global Union, and other labour organizations, compensation was arranged via the German company KIK, providing lifelong monthly pensions to the affected families, currently ranging approximately from PKR 9,000 to 35,000 per month.
It is also a fact that had the case not been framed as one of terrorism and extortion, the responsibilities and failures of the Labour Department, Fire Brigade, EOBI, Social Security institutions, and other relevant bodies would have come under serious scrutiny.
Our position is that institutional negligence and efforts to protect industrial interests diverted the entire case in a specific direction, resulting in the escape of the real responsible parties from accountability.
Fourteen years have passed since the Baldia tragedy. The case, which began in 2012, went through multiple legal phases and eventually reached 2026, yet the affected families still await justice.
This judgment once again revives the fundamental question: how could the real perpetrators of such a massive human tragedy escape accountability, and why are the victims’ families still forced to struggle for justice?
Through this press conference, we demand the following:
• The Baldia factory fire case must be re-examined from the perspective of identifying the true responsible parties, and legal action should be considered against all individuals and institutions involved, including factory owners.
• A comprehensive, independent, and transparent safety inspection of all industrial units across the country, particularly in Karachi, must be conducted to eliminate risks to workers’ lives and prevent future tragedies.
• A full investigation must be conducted into the responsibilities and failures of the Labour Department, Fire Brigade, Social Security institutions, EOBI, and other relevant bodies, and accountability must be ensured wherever negligence is proven.
• The pending group insurance case in the Commissioner’s Compensation Court must be decided without delay so that affected families can receive their lawful rights.
• Full details of the long-term compensation funds provided by the German brand KIK—which were transferred by the International Labour Organization (ILO) into a private insurance mechanism without consultation with victims or labour organizations—must be immediately shared with representatives of the affected families and labour organizations. All stakeholders must be included in decisions regarding compensation, pensions, and long-term support.
We urge the Government of Pakistan, the judiciary, international institutions, and civil society to treat this tragedy not merely as a past incident, but as an ongoing issue of workers’ rights, justice, and human dignity.
We reaffirm our commitment that the struggle for justice for the martyrs of the Baldia factory fire and their families will continue until full accountability is ensured, justice is delivered, and safe working conditions are guaranteed for all workers.
Participant of the press conference: Husna Khatoon, Chairperson, Ali Enterprises Factory Fire Affectees Association (AEFFAA), Muhammad Sidiq, General Secretary Ali Enterprises Factory Fire Affectees Association (AEFFAA), Nasir Mansoor, General Secretary National Trade Union Federation Pakistan (NTUF), Rao Nasim , Senior Vice President of Pakistan Workers Federation (PWF), Zehra Khan Co-chair IndustriALL Global Union Textile Garments Sector & General Secretary Home-Based Women Workers Federation (HBWWF), Saeed Baloch, General Secretary Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFFF) and representative Pakistan United Workers Federation (PUWF), Tahir Khan, Representative Karachi Union of Jounalist (KUJ), Professor Tauseef Ahmed, Veteran Journalist & Progressive Writer, Dr Asghar Dashti, Academic and Vice President Federal Urdu University Teachers Association, Comrade Sajjad Zahir Solangi, Progressive Writers Association, Ahsan Mehmood Jagani, Organizer Alternate, Aqib Hussain, Representative Workers Right Movement
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