KARACHI: Afzal Jokhio, the brother of Nazim Jokhio and complainant in the murder case, has withdrawn his complaint against Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) MPA Jam Awais’s elder brother, MNA Jam Abdul Karim.
The development came as Afzal Jokhio recorded his statement during a hearing in the court of the Malir judicial magistrate on Thursday. MNA Abdul Karim was nominated as a suspect on November 9.
At the outset of the hearing, six arrested suspects, including prime suspect Jam Awais were presented before the court. Inspector Siraj Lashari informed the court that the investigation was handed over to him yesterday and the former investigation officer (IO) Mujtaba Bajwa will no longer handle the case.
The new IO, Lashari, then moved a plea seeking a 14-day extension in the physical remand of the arrested suspects. He said that the post-mortem report of the deceased hasn’t been received yet.
Afzal during today’s hearing, while recording his statement under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code, said that MNA Abdul Karim “is not involved in my brother’s murder,” and requested the court to remove the lawmaker’s name from the case.
“MNA Jam Abdul Karim Bijar swore to me that he is not involved in my brother’s murder,” said Afzal, adding that PPP MPA Jam Awais and others nominated “are involved in the murder”. Meanwhile, the court disposed of Afzal’s plea seeking the inclusion of terrorism clauses in the case.
‘Will not forgive MNA Abdul Karim’
Meanwhile, Nazim’s widow expressed concerns regarding Afzal’s statement, saying that he might be under pressure.
“They must have intimidated Afzal to record the statement,” she said. The woman further stated that she will “never forgive” MNA Abdul Karim.
New body formed
A day earlier, police authorities have formed a new team to probe the murder of Nazimuddin Jokhio. The step was taken after Nazim’s brother Muhammad Afzal Jokhio in a recent meeting with the city police chief and the home secretary expressed his dissatisfaction over the performance of the existing investigation team formed by the East DIG.
According to an order issued by DIG (Crime and Investigation) Asim Khan, it was informed by Karachi AIG Imran Yaqoob Minhas that Afzal Jokhio appeared along with his counsel before him (the city police chief). “He (the complainant) submitted an application and showed his dissatisfaction on the progress of investigation of the case,” the order said.
“He requested for constitution of a new joint investigation team comprising officers: inspector Siraj Ahmed Lashari, DSP Ghulam Ali Jumani and Tanveer Alam Odho, PSP, AIGP Finance, CPO Karachi.”
The order stated that on the recommendation of a board constituted by the Karachi AIG and as per relevant sections of the police law, “the change of investigation of the case is approved.”
Nazim was found tortured to death at the farmhouse of PPP MPA Jam Awais and his brother MNA Jam Abdul Karim on November 3. The victim’s family accuses the MPA and his henchmen of torturing him to death for resisting houbara bustard hunting by the lawmaker’s Arab guests in Nazim’s Achar Salaar village in Malir district.
