Pakistani Twitter outraged after SC acquits Shahrukh Jatoi in Shahzeb murder case

Legal experts and social media users were shocked and outraged after the Supreme Court (SC) acquitted Shahrukh Jatoi in the 2012 Shahzeb Khan murder case, on Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, a three-member bench of the apex court led by Justice Ijaz-ul-Ahsan granted Jatoi freedom after hearing the case.

During the hearing, Jatoi's counsel Latif Khosa argued that “the parties have already reached an agreement.”

Lawyer and social activist Jibran Nasir took to his official Twitter handle to state that “the rich and powerful exploit provision of compromise in our legal system to get away with [the] murder of the weak and poor”.

He added that concerned citizens and society could only do “so much” until laws changed.

Abdul Moiz Jafferi, another lawyer, said that the laws and trials were a “sham”, and the conclusion to the infamous murder case was “shambolic”.

“In Pakistan, workers and farmers are awarded life sentences on terrorism charges for demanding basic rights but hideous murderers like Shah Rukh Jatoi, Jam Awais and CTD are acquitted,” said activist Ammar Ali Jan.

He added that it was shameful that the Pakistani state “acts strong against the weak and weak against the strong”.

Quote sharing a news story about the accused's acquittal, writer Fatima Bhutto stated that, "It is unbearable how kindly the courts treat killers. If only they protected victims in the same way."

Barrister Asad Rahim Khan called the move a “monstrous judgment by the Supreme Court”, and claimed that the “escape [was] enabled by the PPP govt” with the victim’s being “beaten into accepting diyat”.

“An utter miscarriage of justice”.

Former columnist for The Express Tribune and lawyer Hassan Niazi said that “the Supreme Court continues to drag its reputation through dirt”

“Justice Ijazul Ahsan is an interesting man. He will gladly assume guilt and bad faith for politicians but will give a man who committed murder in the middle of the street the benefit of the doubt”.

He underlined that “the underlying problem is with a broken criminal justice system, where the rich and powerful have the avenue of 'compromise' and blood money to get away with murder. Necessitating offences like terrorism to be used to prosecute murder”.

“The system is abhorrent”, he added.

Journalist Madeeha Syed stated that Pakistan’s “laws provide all of the loopholes you need to commit murder and get away with it”.

Lawyer Salaar Khan highlighted that “justice is a privilege, not a right”.

“The court will face quite the task in justifying this verdict. For all the focus on the pardon, the SC had valid reasons for rejecting it - had it been so inclined,” he said.

PTI leader and former planning minister Asad Umar also took to Twitter to state that Sharukh Jatoi was acquitted.

He questioned if any of the “rich and powerful” were left in prison.

Journalist Maria Memon also questioned the acquittals, stating that "it was almost impossible to convict the elite in Pakistan. Who's next now? Zahir Jaffar? Shahnawaz Amir?"