Key suspect in Baldia factory fire Hammad Siddiqui arrested in Dubai

DUBAI: A key suspect in Baldia factory fire has been arrested by the UAE authorities in Dubai here on Friday, confirmed family sources.

The Pakistan Embassy has been approached by the police for his repatriation.

A court, hearing Baldia factory tragedy, had issued red warrants for Siddiqui in January 2017. He is wanted in several cases by the Karachi police including kidnapping, killing and extortion.

In September 2012, over 250 people were burnt alive at a factory situated in Karachi's Baldia Town. Subsequent investigations led to revelations that the factory was deliberately set ablaze over non-payment of extortion money. Some MQM leaders were implicated in the case as well.

Another prime suspect in the case, Abdul Rehman alias Bhola, had confessed that he set the factory on fire on the orders of Hammad Siddiqui, who was an influential Karachi leader of MQM.

Bhola was rounded up from Bangkok by the Interpol on December 03, upon the request of Pakistani authorities. He was on the run since four years.

On November 28 during hearing of the Baldia factory fire case, an anti-terrorism court had grilled authorities for not being able to arrest Hammad Siddiqui and Rahman alias Bhola. The court had ordered the interior ministry to arrest fugitives with the help of Interpol.