‘Justice not only for Shahzeb, but for all those who could be him’

Friends and family come together on Sunday, ask for killers to be arrested immediately.

KARACHI:

Love brings people together but so does hate - as it did on Sunday when friends, family and acquaintances of recently killed Shahzeb Khan gathered at Seaview, Clifton and said that they won’t rest till the 20-year-old’s murderers “are hanged publicly.”

While people held up smiling pictures of Shahzeb, they also held up posters of the accused, Nawab Siraj Talpur and Shahrukh Jatoi - the former currently in police custody.

Leading the protesters, Shahzeb’s uncle Adnan said that the criminals should be given the death sentence. “They should be hanged at the same place where they shot my nephew so that no other son of a feudal dares to kill another Shahzeb.”

He credited the media, youngsters and the court for the momentum of the movement, and that getting close to justice would not have been possible without them.

Akin to last Sunday, where protesters had gathered at the Karachi Press Club demanding arrest of Shahzeb’s killers, dozens of people turned up on Sunday, stating that they would continue to come out on the streets till justice is served.

People said that the police should capture the escaped Shahrukh Jatoi, and contact Interpol if he has slipped out of the country.

Shahzeb’s parents, who both participated in the peaceful protest, thanked the chief justice for taking notice of their son’s murder. Ambreen, his mother, said that it was the court’s notice that gave them the hope of justice.



The father DSP Aurangeb, while thanking Muttahida Qaumi Movement Chief Altaf Hussain, said that political parties came together for humanity. “We will keep raising our voice till the main accused is arrested. We will keep fighting till they are given punishment,” said the DSP. “I will keep fighting till I am alive.”

Time to speak up

A close friend of Shahzeb, Ahmed Zuberi, demanded that the prime suspect, Shahrukh Jatoi, should be arrested immediately. “We are still half way to justice as the main culprit is on the run.” Zuberi and other friends of Shahzeb had written SHO on their arms, a nickname they had given to their deceased friend.

Children as young as seven years old also held RIP banners and actively participated in the protest. Young Abdul Sami, who would often meet Shahzeb in their apartment’s lift, remembered him like an elder brother. “We are here because we want Shahzeb’s killers to have the same fate as him.” As the protesters chanted, “Shahzeb teray khoon say, Inquilab aye ga” (Revolution will come from Shahzeb’s blood) from Seaview to the Country Club Apartment, a group of men and women standing on the rooftops held a poster which read ‘Pakistan mourns Shahzeb’ and waved to the crowd. Police cars with Shahzeb’s black and white pictures taped on them escorted the participants.

“Incidents like this can spark off a revolution,” said one of the protesters, Umer. “We want a change in the governing system so that the middle and lower class are not deprived of their rights.”  Activists of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf also joined the walk - one of their members, Imran Ghazali, compared the movement with the one launched for Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Chaudhry. “It is a positive sign that young ‘burger’ kids have stepped out from their homes and are asking for rights. It is important, however, to maintain that pressure.”

Published in The Express Tribune, January 7^th, 2013.