Arrest my son's murderer, pleads mother

Former Szabist was student killed by cousin over property dispute in Balochistan on May 7

KARACHI: The family of Jibran Jogezai, a 30-year-old who was killed on May 7, demanded the immediate arrest of Ajmal Khan, the victim's cousin and alleged murderer.

During a press conference on Saturday at the Karachi Press Club, Jibran's mother, Dr Nargis Jogezai, family members, his university teachers and friends demanded the federal government provide them justice. The family claimed that the murderer of their son is a great threat to their entire family, including his uncle, who he wanted to kill.

With teary eyes and a wavering voice, Dr Nargis said her son's murderer is still an absconder, claiming that their tribal elders are sheltering the killer in order to protect the family name. She alleged that they were pressuring her not to pursue the case. She requested the authorities to put Ajmal's name on the Exit Control List, in order to stop him from fleeing the country.



While narrating the events leading up to her son's death, Dr Nargis said her husband and son were visiting their family orchard in Qila Saifullah in Balochistan on May 7, when they were attacked by Ajmal. Jibran's father, Dr Tariq Jogezai, was also injured in the firing that claimed Jibran's life. Jibran was shot multiple times in his chest, after his assailant shot his father. Dr Tariq has undergone a surgery at Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi and is currently fighting for his life at the hospital.

The victim belonged to the influential Pashtun Jogezai tribe, was a resident of Quetta and had completed his MSC from the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom. Earlier, he completed his bachelor's degree from Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology [Szabist] in 2010.

Dr Nargis demanded civil society members to raise their voices for the arrest of the murderer, in order to stop future killings of young people due to petty monetary issues in the name of tribal tradition. According to her, the murderer had also attacked the family before the incident but the government had taken no notice of the situation.



"It's time we stand with the victim's family as they are sceptical of getting justice from the existing system," said Dr Fauzia Khan, Jibran's former teacher from Szabist. How long are we are going to lose young people due to personal hatred and animosity, she questioned. According to her, the followers of tribal system need to rethink their modus operandi for resolving small issues by taking the lives of young people.

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