KARACHI - Abdul Rehman aka Bhola, the key suspect in the Baldia factory fire case, has allegedly confessed before a judicial magistrate to his involvement in the factory fire.

Bhola, former sector in-charge of Baldia Town of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), was produced by the police before Judicial Magistrate (West) Abid Lakho for recording of his confessional statement under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

According to reports, the suspect allegedly confessed that he along with his accomplices set the factory ablaze on the instructions of the then chief of MQM Organising Committee Hammad Siddiqui after the factory owners refused to pay him money. After recording his statement, the magistrate sent the suspect to prison on a judicial remand till Dec 29 when he would be presented before the ATC-II. Bhola was arrested in Bangkok on Dec 3 through Interpol and handed over to the FIA officials for his extradition to Pakistan.

It is worth mentioning here that around 250 workers were burnt alive in a multi-storey garment factory in Baldia Town in September 2012. The reinvestigation of the incident in March last year by a joint investigation team revealed that the factory was set on fire after its owners failed to pay extortion money.

10 SUSPECTS ARRESTED

Paramilitary forces on Saturday claimed to have arrested 10 more suspects, including a political worker, during operations and raids in the city.

Rangers personnel conducted targeted raids in Pak Colony, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Gadap Town and Hyderi area. Rangers spokesperson said the troops arrested 10 criminals, including one affiliated with the militant wing of a political party, two gangsters of the Lyari gang war and three extortionists. The Rangers also claimed to have recovered weapons from their possession. The suspects were shifted to an undisclosed location for further questioning.