A sessions court in Karachi sent Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA) Jam Awais on a three-day physical remand on Friday for his alleged involvement in the murder of a man at his farmhouse in Malir’s Memon Goth area.
Awais reportedly ‘surrendered’ to the police after a 16-hour-long sit-in by the family of the deceased Nazim Sajawal Jokhio on the National Highway.
Enraged relatives of Nazim and members of civil society ended their protest, which caused the suspension of traffic on both sides of the National Highway late Thursday night, after successful negotiations with a minister-level committee comprising Saeed Ghani, Imtiaz Sheikh and Sajid Jokhio.
The body of the 28-year-old victim was found inside the farmhouse of Jam Awais on Wednesday evening. According to reports, the victim had made a video of a hunting expedition by some foreigners. After the talks, Saeed Ghani said the PPP would stand by the bereaved family, and that Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had directed the authorities concerned to take action against all those involved in the vicious murder of Nazim Jokhio.
“Whosoever is involved in this barbaric episode shall be brought to book,” he held. The day-long protest turned the heat on the provincial government and the key accused MPA, Jam Awais, leading to his arrest. Police told the court that the accused had voluntarily surrendered, while his two accomplices were already in police custody for interrogation. However, DIG Police East Zone Saqib Ismail Memon told the media that an 8-member investigation team led by Malir SSP Irfan Ali Bahadur had been formed to have a detailed, transparent and fair investigation of the incident.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, accompanying minister Imtiaz Sheikh, reached Malir to offer condolences to the bereaved family and assured them of justice. He said that nobody was above the law, and directed the authorities concerned to proceed as per the law. The convoy of social activist Ume Rubab Chandio, who lost her family members to feudalism some four years ago, also reached the village Achar Salar Jokhio to offer condolences to the relatives of the deceased.
She said she would extend all-out support for the provision of justice to the bereaved family. People of Sindh wanted to get rid of feudalism and the sacrifice of Nazim Jokhio against this obsolete system would not go to waste, she held.
Meanwhile, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain on Friday expressed concern over the frequency of criminal incidents being shared on the social media from Sindh. In a tweet, he said it seemed that there was no writ of law in Sindh. He said that first journalist Aziz Memon was murdered, then came the video of hunting of powerful people, and now the murder of a helpless woman. He said that people close to Bilawal Bhutto Zardari were involved in these incidents. He asked the PPP leadership not to trample humanity.
