KARACHI: Leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Sheikh on Sunday alleged that the final charge sheet against two Pakistan Peoples Party lawmakers and others in the Nazim Jokhio murder case was not filed because of political influence of the ruling party.

“I want to bring into your attention that district public prosecutor (DPP) of Malir is trying to give illegal favour to criminals by not giving final legal view on challan submitted to him by Investigating Officer Siraj Lashari on Jan 8 for final legal opinion,” said Mr Sheikh in a letter addressed to the Sindh chief secretary.

“Due to political pressure by the Sindh government on DPP” the charge sheet could not be filed showing an “ill intent by the prosecution department which falls under the law department”, he said.

Opposition leader suspects foul play in delay in submission of charge sheet

The opposition leader urged the chief secretary to immediately direct the law department for taking urgent steps for submission of the final charge sheet under Section 173 of the criminal procedure code so that real culprits could be brought to justice.

Mr Sheikh stated in the letter that coercing local communities was the motive behind the murder so that in future no one in Malir district dare to raise voice against any unlawful act committed by the suspects.

He said that those who killed Nazim Jokhio wanted to create fear, terror, insecurity and anguish in the minds of a section of the public, particularly the entire community of district Malir and Jokhio tribe and set an example of dire consequences for raising the voice against them.

He noted that report of Sindh government’s investigation team headed by SSP Tanvir Alam Odho was not considered for finalising the final charge sheet and it was suspected that the prosecution department wanted that interim charge sheet be taken as final.

The opposition leader accused the district public prosecutor Malir of allegedly trying to extend illegal favour to criminals in the case.

“Political pressure by the Sindh government on DPP Malir and ill-intentions of the prosecution department are evident from the deliberate delay. The Sindh government wants to save influential accused in the matter and DPP Malir under political pressure is not giving legal opinion,” he stated. “The only conceivable reason behind the delaying tactics is that the court should treat interim challan as the final since it was incomplete, lacked findings of IO and does not fix responsibility of crime to anyone,” he said.

Nazim Jokhio was found dead at the farmhouse of PPP MPA Jam Awais and his brother MNA Jam Abdul Karim on November 2, 2021. His family accused the lawmakers and their guards of torturing Nazim Jokhio to death as he had earned their ire for stopping their foreign guests from hunting houbara bustard in Achar Salaar village in Malir district.

Published in Dawn, January 17th, 2022