A file photo of protesters holding placards calling for justice. PHOTO: ATHAR KHAN/THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE
Shahzeb Khan’s sister recorded her statement before an anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Tuesday where she identified four men, including Shahrukh Jatoi, who had quarreled with her brother the night he was murdered, and are suspected to have shot him dead.
Shahzeb, the 20-year-old son of a police officer, was shot dead in his car on December 25, 2012, in the upscale Defence neighbourhood of Karachi. Shahrukh, his friends Siraj Talpur, Sajjad Talpur and their house worker Ghulam Mustafa Lashari are being tried for murder in the ATC.
Shahzeb’s sister told Judge Ghulam Mustafa Memon on Tuesday that she had seen all four accused going after her brother in another car moments before he was shot dead. She said that after fighting with Shahzeb in her family’s apartment building, Shahrukh had loudly called out his name and announced he was the son of Sikandar Jatoi.
The court heard that the Shahzeb’s sister was harassed by Lashari the same night when she returned home after attending her sister’s valima ceremony. She told the court that her brother was still in the parking lot, while she went up to their apartment. As she approached the flat, Lashari, who was on his way downstairs, stopped and with a ‘vile’ look commented that she looked pretty.
Following the encounter, she made a distress call to her mother, after which she saw from her window that Shahzeb had gotten into a in a fight with Shahrukh and the other accused.
That is when she heard Shahrukh yell out his name, and also heard him say that the “matter won’t be settled like this”.
Shahzeb’s father Aurengzeb Khan has intervened and tried to calm the boys and later went to Talpur’s house (their neighbour) to complain about their children’s behaviour.
After some time, her father returned home and said they have to rush to the hospital, where she found her brother’s body lying on a stretcher.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 13th, 2013.
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