PPP MNA gets clean chit in Jokhio murder case

Terrorism clauses removed; suspects sent on judicial remand

KARACHI:

In a significant progress in Nazim Jokhio murder case, Afzal Jokhio, brother of the victim and complainant in the case, while recording his statement under section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code before a local court on Thursday, gave a clean chit to MNA Jam Abdul Karim, a suspect nominated in the FIR.

Malir District Court Judicial Magistrate, during Thursday’s hearing, rejected the request of the investigation officer for extending the physical remand of Jam Awais and other suspects and sent them to jail on judicial remand. They face charges of torturing Nazim Jokhio to death for making video of foreign guests of Jam Awais hunting protected Houbara bustard in Memon Goth area of Mair.

The panel of complainant’s Counsels Mazhar Junejo, Shahzaman Junejo, Muhammad Khan Sheikh, Riaz Bhatti and Ashraf Samoo also appeared in the court.

In his statement, Afzal Jokhio, brother of the deceased, said that MNA Jam Abdul Karim Bajar has sworn before me that he was not involved in my brother’s murder. “The name of Jam Abdul Karim should be removed from the list of suspects,” he said. “While PPP MPA Jam Awais and other suspects are involved in my brother’s murder,” he added.

Advocate Mazhar Junejo, counsel for the complainant, said that the court sent the suspects to jail on judicial remand and remarked that the provisions of terrorism do not apply in the case so at the request of the complainant we withdrew the application at which the court disposed of the petition regarding inclusion of terrorism provisions in the case.

Meanwhile, Nazim Jokhio’s mother and widow uploaded a video on social media alleging that Afzal Jokhio gave statement in favour of MNA Jam Abdul Karim under duress.

“The feudal lords locked up my son Afzal and threatened to kill him to make him withdraw the name of Jam Karim from the murder case of my elder son Nazim,” the victim’s mother said in response to Afzal’s statement given in the court.

Nazim’s widow said they would rather die than back off from their demand for justice for Nazim Jokhio.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 19^th, 2021.