Brother calls for new JIT to probe Jokhio murder

Also demanded police, Rangers protection for himself, eyewitnesses of incident

KARACHI:

Afzal Jokhio, brother of Nazim Jokhio, who was tortured to death in Malir's Memon Goth, while expressing dissatisfaction with the Joint Interrogation Team (JIT) formed by the East district DIG, submitted an application to the Sindh IGP Mushtaq Mehar for setting up a fresh JIT and inclusion of other provisions in the FIR.

Afzal has also demanded police and Rangers protection for himself and eyewitnesses of the incident.

The application submitted by Afzal said that Memon Goth police had registered a case on November 3 pertaining to the incident of torturing Nazim to death following which, on November 4, East DIG Saqib Ismail Memon formed a JIT.

However, the team has so far failed to recover the victim's mobile phone, slippers, wallet and other belongings from the main suspect MPA Jam Awais.

Read PPP MPA sent on three-day remand in Nazim Jokhio murder case

The victim's brother alleged that the JIT was giving protocol to the arrested MPA instead of interrogating him like any other murder suspect. "No signification progress has been made with regard to arrest of foreigners nominated in the case," he said.

According to Afzal, the JIT does not appear to be serious about arresting MNA Jam Abdul Karim, the elder brother of MPA Jam Awais, nor has the JIT been able to trace the vehicle used by the foreigners. "The JIT has also failed to recover the vehicles of Saleem Salar and Niaz Salar used in the kidnapping of my slain brother Nazim Jokhio," the application read.

The application sent to the IGP stated that the incident is terrorism and in the murder case, in addition to the section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, sections 506B, 504, 201, 202, 365 and 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code should also be included.

Afzal has requested formation of a fresh JIT from the IGP headed by SSP Tanveer Alam Odho and comprising DSP Ghulam Ali Jumani, Inspector Siraj Ahmed Lashari, a major rank officer from Rangers, a major rank officer from the Military Intelligence or Inter-Service Intelligence and an officer from the Intelligence Bureau or the Federal Investigation Agency.

Afzal said that he was receiving threats of serious consequences from the suspects.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 14^th, 2021.