Sit-in for PPP MPA’s arrest ends

Protesters open National Highway on govt assurances

KARACHI:

Family and community of Nazim Jokhio ended the over 15-hour long sit-in at National Highway that had left the inter-city link blocked.

Sindh Information Minister Saeed Ghani, Sindh Energy Minister Imitaz Sheikh, and Sindh Assembly Member Sajid Jokhio reached the site of the sit-in last night to meet the family members of the deceased and assured them of their full cooperation and asked them to end the sit-in. However, the protestors announced that they would not end the sit-in until police arrest the nominated suspects in Nazim Jokhio’s murder case. On assurances of Peoples Party leaders, the heirs of Nazim Jokhio ended the sit-in.

Talking to the media, Ghani said that they were with the family of the deceased in this time of grief. He said that PPP Chairman Bialwal Bhutto and Sindh CM Murad Ali Shah have taken notice of the matter and directed strict action against the suspects.

Funeral prayers of Nazim Jokhio, who was killed in Malir’s Memon Goth, were offered on the National Highway at Dhabeji on Thursday morning following which he was buried in Achar Salar Goth graveyard.

Nazim Jokhio’s body was found on Wednesday in Memon Goth area. According to sources, Malir’s influential figures called the victim on the pretext of discussing some important matter, and killed him after allegedly subjecting him to severe torture for making video of foreigners.

Afzal Jokhio, the brother of the deceased Nazim Jokhio said, “On Tuesday, my brother Nazim made a video of the a road, that was blocked by foreigners who had come for hunting of houbara bustard and parked their vehicles. Nazim got into a verbal spat with the man in the car who snatched his cellphone. Nazim then made another video that went viral on social media.”

Afzal alleged that Sindh Assembly member Jam Awais Gohram and his personal secretary were involved in the murder of his brother.

Several people, including Jam Awais, have been nominated in the FIR.

After the funeral prayers and burial, a sit-in protest was held at Dhabeji. The protest was attended by a large number of people including the deceased’s family members, relatives and residents of the area. The protesters demanded immediate arrest of Jam Awais and other nominated suspects.

Due to the protest, both the tracks of road were completely closed suspending the flow of all vehicular traffic.

A heavy contingent of police were deployed. The police officials negotiated several times with the protestors to no avail. Protestors said, they would not end their protest until the arrest of Jam Awais and nominated in the FIR.

The member of national assembly from the area, Sajid Jokhio, also held talks with the protesters but could not reach any conclusion. When contacted by The Express Tribune, SSP Malir, Irfan Bahadur said that investigation of the case was started and the police had arrested two persons late on Wednesday. Also on Thursday, police raided several places, including various farmhouses, but no arrests were made.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 5^th, 2021.