Plea to forgive: Shahzeb’s family lawyer given notice to plead compromise plea

The convicts had been sentenced on June 7, 2013, after which the family had pardoned them.

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) issued on Monday notice to the lawyer representing Shahzeb Khan's family to appear on May 6 to plead his application requesting to pardon the four convicts, including Shahrukh Jatoi.

Headed by Justice Ahmed Ali M Sheikh, the bench issued notice to the lawyer, Syed Mehmood Alam Rizvi, who was absent during the hearing of the convicts' appeals against sentences awarded to them by the anti-terrorism court.

Shahzeb Khan, 20, was gunned down on December 25, 2012.

He was reportedly murdered after he had an altercation with one of the suspects' servant who had allegedly misbehaved with the victim's sister.

Shahrukh Jatoi and Nawab Siraj Talpur were given death sentences, while Nawab Sajjad Talpur and Ghulam Murtaza Lashari were awarded life imprisonment on June 7, 2013.

In the trial that was believed to be a test case of class division, the anti-terrorism court had found them guilty of murdering 20-year-old Shahzeb Khan over a petty dispute in the Defense Housing Authority.

All four convicts later appealed to the Sindh High Court to set aside their conviction and sentences, arguing that the trial court's verdict suffered from serious errors and was, thus, against the principles of justice.

Before the appellate court could decided the appeals, the victim's family, who has been crying for justice throughout the period of trial, took a surprising move when it announced to pardon the killers in September last year.

Khan's parents and sisters filed applications with the SHC, stating that they had pardoned all the convicts in the name of Allah, without any pressure, coercion or interest.

The applications have been filed by the victim's father, Aurangzeb Khan, mother, Ambreen Khan and sisters, Parishey and Maha. All the legal heirs individually stated that  they had given up the right of Qisas and Diyat and pleaded the court acquit the convicts.

When the matter was taken up on Monday, the lawyers for the appellants and state prosecutor were present, but the complainant family's lawyer, Syed Mehmood Alam Rizvi, was absent.

Justice Ahmed Ali M Sheikh issued an intimation notice to the lawyer to appear and adjourned the hearing till May 6.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 15^th, 2014.