• CM assures family of justice
• Probe body formed
• Protesters end sit-in on National Highway

KARACHI / THATTA: A Pakistan Peoples Party lawmaker, booked for the murder of a man who made a video of some foreigners hunting houbara bustard, was on Friday remanded in police custody for three days after he surrendered before the law enforcers in the morning.

Young Nazimudin Jokhio, father of four, was found tortured to death at the farmhouse of PPP MPA Jam Awais Bijar in Malir on Wednesday as he reportedly earned the ire of the influential for trying to prevent his foreign guests from hunting houbara bustards in Jungshahi, district Thatta on Nov 2.

The lawmaker’s arrest came after the victim’s family, relatives and area people staged a sit-in on main National Highway near Ghaghar Phatak for two consecutive days blocking the key arterial link for vehicular traffic.

“The suspect, MPA Jam Awais, nominated in a case (FIR 457/21) registered at the Memon Goth police station has surrendered to police,” said Malir SSP Irfan Bahadur.

On Friday, the police brought the MPA in an armoured personnel carrier to the Malir judicial complex amid tight security. He was produced before a judicial magistrate by the investigating officer, who informed the court that Jam Awais had voluntarily surrendered himself to police in connection with case lodged by the victim’s family.

He requested the magistrate to grant 14-day remand in police custody for interrogation, but the court remanded him in police custody for three days with direction to the IO to produce him on the next date along with an investigation report.

DIG-East Saqib Ismail Memon constituted a joint investigation team (JIT) for “fair and transparent” investigations of the case.

The JIT would be led by SSP Bahadur and its members, all policemen, included SSP Arab Mahar, SSP Altaf Husain, Memon Goth DSP Kanwar Asif, DSP-Investigation Yousuf Jamal, Inspector Fareed-ud-Din, Station Investigation Officer (SIO) and Shah Latif police stations Mukhtiar Panhwar and Ghulam Mujtaba Bajwa.

The DIG directed the team head to submit the progress on a regular basis till the finalisation of the investigation case.

The case was registered against the PPP MPA and four others on the complaint of Afzal Jokhio, the victim’s brother and a former councillor. The police had already arrested two other suspects and raids were being conducted to arrest the remaining suspects, the SSP said.

CM meets with family

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah along with provincial ministers visited Achar Salar Goth to meet with heirs of Nazim Jokhio on Friday and offer his condolence.

He said regardless of their socio-political status no involved in the brutal murder would be spared.

He said he realised the sentiments of the people of Jokhio clan and PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Asif Ali Zardari were equally hurt over the ruthless murder. He said they were of the opinion that mere removal of the legislator was not sufficient and all the suspects shall be brought to book at all costs.

He informed the victim’s family that he had directed the police to lodge an FIR as per the wishes of the family.

He sought details from the heirs about the incident and assured them that justice would be provided to them.

The CM was accompanied by provincial ministers Saeed Ghani, Imtiaz Shaikh, Sajid Jokhio, Thatta MPA Syed Riaz Hussain Shah Sheerazi, Ghulam Qadir Palijo, MNA Syed Ayaz Shah Sheerazi and others.

Earlier, the protest sit-in that was joined by political and nationalist parties and civil society activists on main National Highway near Ghaghar Phatak was ended in the wee hours of Friday after ministers Ghani and Shaikh met them and promised the arrest of the MPA and two others.

PTI dissatisfied with probe

Leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Sheikh of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf said that Prime Minister Imran Khan was extremely sad over the tragic incident in which a feudal lord “killed” an innocent person.

During a visit to the village of the victim’s family along with PTI leaders Khurram Sher Zaman and others, he said the JIT formed on the orders of the Sindh government was an attempt to mislead people.

He demanded that a JIT should be formed under the supervision of a judge of the high court.

Sindh Taraqi Pasand Party (STP) chairman Dr Qadir Magsi, central leader of the Jeay Sindh Qoumi Mahaz (JSQM) Nawaz Khan Zour and Umme Rabab Chandio visited Achar Salaar Village and expressed their condolence with the family.

Published in Dawn, November 6th, 2021