KARACHI: In a shocking move, the family of Nazim Jokhio on Thursday opposed the application of the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) to become an intervener in the slain activist’s murder case against two sitting Pakistan Peoples Party lawmakers and their guards.

Jokhio was found murdered at the Malir farmhouse of PPP MPA Jam Awais on Nov 3, 2021.

His brother, Afzal Jokhio, had nominated MPA Awais, his brother MNA Jam Abdul Karim, and their henchmen of murdering Jokhio for resisting houbara bustard hunting by the lawmakers’ foreign guests.

On Thursday, the ATC-XV judge, who is conducting the trial in the judicial complex inside the central prison, took up the matter for hearing arguments from the parties on the charge sheet and the NCHR application to become intervener.

MPA Awais is currently in judicial custody, while his brother is on bail.

At the outset, victim’s widow Shirin Jokhio and complainant Afzal Jokhio separately filed written objections to the NCHR’s plea.

They stated that the NCHR had no locus standi to become an intervener in the case as the signatory of the application, who claimed to be the chairman/member of the Sindh National Commission for Human Rights, did not hold any position as per law.

They further stated that as per Section 3 of the NCHR Act, 2012 it was the powers of the federal government to constitute a commission which will exercise the powers and perform the functions under this Act only and no other person could act on the commission’s behalf.

The widow and her brother-in-law said that the relevant section under which the intervener application had been filed was related to functions of the commission and all procedures/quorum for a meeting shall not be less than one-half of the total membership of commission and a decision shall be taken by the majority members, but it transpired that the NCHR’s application was not filed after obtaining the requisite permission of its governing members. They asked the court to dismiss the application.

Published in Dawn, April 22nd, 2022