Shahzeb Khan murder trial: Shahrukh Jatoi’s bail plea dismissed in court

Application was dismissed as the lawyer was not present in court

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) dismissed on Friday the bail application moved by convict Shahrukh Jatoi, who is serving death sentence in the high-profile Shahzeb Khan murder case, due to the absence of his lawyer.

Headed by Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, the bench dismissed the plea due to non-prosecution.

Jatoi, Nawab Siraj Talpur, Nawab Sajjad Talpur and Ghulam Murtaza Lashari were sentenced to death and life imprisonment after the court found them guilty of killing Khan in a case that had gripped the nation's attention. The convicts had shot dead the 20-year-old son of DSP Aurangzeb Khan on the night between December 24 and 25, 2012.

Later, the victim's family surprised the nation as it pardoned the convicts. The family said they granted the pardon "in the name of Allah and without receiving blood money". They had pleaded the SHC to order the release of the convicts.

However, the high court asked the relevant anti-terrorism court to verify the authenticity of the compromise within three months.

Earlier on Thursday, the SHC had dismissed the request made by the lawyer representing Jatoi that the head of the bench, Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, should distance himself from these proceedings on the ground that Justice Shah was performing duties as the administrative judge of the anti-terrorism courts during the trial proceedings before the ATC.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 8^th, 2014.