A court in Karachi, Pakistan has sentenced two men to death by hanging eight years after they were accused of setting an industrial fire that killed 264 people. The fire at a garment factory in the city more than eight years ago, which also injured around 60 people, resulted in a long court cases that involved hundreds of witnesses and investigations into how authorities responded.

Families of the victims came forward after the verdict this week, saying that justice for their loved ones was long overdue. Over the past eight years, more than 400 witnesses had given testimony in dozens of court hearings - eventually leading to charges being filed.

Apart from the arsonists, investigations were also conducted into the police and the owners of the factory. The police were investigated over allegations they had improperly handled the situation, while the owners of the factory, Ali Enterprises, were accused of having substandard safety standards.

The fire ignited concerns over the country's poor safety regulations - particularly for its hundreds of industrial and manufacturing facilities. Activists and safety advocates called out factory owners who had been mostly negligent of following state-imposed security protocols, which have left workers vulnerable to deadly accidents.

The two men who have been sentenced to death, Abdul Rehman and Muhammad Zubair, both worked for the Muttahida Qaumi Movement. The political party has been known to use violence to push their agenda. The group has since been largely disbanded after the country's military launched several operations.

According to a 146-page verdict submitted by Judge Abdul Qadoos Memon, the two men were found guilty of conducting "arson and sabotage." It said the two men had set the factory on fire after its owners refused to pay extortion money to their group. MQM reportedly demanded the owners to pay $1.2 million as protection money.

The court also sentenced four of the factory's guards to life sentences for their contribution to the deaths of dozens after they locked the exit doors during the fire.