Baldia Town factory fire: Prime suspect to be extradited to Pakistan

DUBAI: Hammad Siddiqui, the prime suspect in the Baldia Town factory blaze and former chief of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s Karachi organising committee, is expected to be extradited to Pakistan around next week.

Diplomatic sources informed The News that all the legal formalities had been completed and necessary documents handed over to diplomatic officials in Pakistan Consulate, Dubai, for handing over the prime accused of the Baldia factory ablaze.

At least 260 workers were killed and dozens injured when a fire swept through the garment factory in Karachi’s Baldia Town in September 2012.

The investigation into the Baldia factory tragedy already revealed that the factory, Ali Enterprises, was deliberately set ablaze on the instructions of MQM leader Hammad Siddiqui. The Pakistani mission in the United Arab Emirates has notified FIA officials, who will soon travel to the Emirates for the purpose, added sources.

The sources further revealed that at the time of his arrest in Dubai, two close associates and facilitators of Siddiqui were present but managed to escape.

Siddiqui reportedly has made several revelations to local authorities and has named Naveed and Danish during the investigation. Emarati sources have said that the police have been looking for the escaped duo.

The sources further revealed that strict vigilance had been ordered on all exit points in the Emirates and diplomatic sources added that the duo was involved in heinous crimes.