KARACHI: A court magistrate has decided that Jam Awais Bijar, a legislator for the Pakistan Peoples Party, and his nine servants will go on trial in a case involving the suspected murder of Nazim Jokhio, aiding in the crime, and hiding evidence.
The final charge sheet provided by the police in the case was reviewed and approved by Judicial Magistrate (Malir) Altaf Hussain Tunio, who stated that “grounds exist to believe that infraction is committed. As a result, the offences under Sections 109 (abetment), 302 (premeditated murder), 201 (causing the disappearance of evidence of an offence or providing false information to a screen offender), 365 (kidnapping), 506 (criminal intimidation), and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code are recognised in the report.The magistrate sent the case to the appropriate sessions court so that the suspects might be tried.
Haider, Meer Ali, Mairaj, Doda Khan, Muhammad Soomar, Niaz Salar, Ahmed Shoro, Zahid, and Muhammad Saleem, MPA’s nine servants/guards, shall also go on trial, the judge ordered.
However, the judge dismissed MNA Jam Abdul Karim from the lawsuit due to “insufficient evidence” against him. Jam Abdul Karim is the older brother of Jam Awais, Abdul Razzaq, Muhammad Khan, Muhammad Ishaque, Atta Muhammad, and Jamal.
The judge stated in his written ruling on Monday that although the police had initially detained five suspects, MPA Awais, Meer Ali, and Haider Ali were shown as being in jail on the interim charge sheet, while Muhammad Mairaj, Jamal Ahmed, and Abdul Razzaq were shown as being fugitives.He pointed out that Ahmed Shoro, the suspect named in the FIR, was afterwards absolved by the IO in the final report by writing his name in column II in blue ink due to a lack of evidence.
The third charge sheet filed to an antiterrorism court also had the name of incarcerated MPA Jam Awais in column-II in blue ink, he said.
The judge noted that the IO had submitted an interim charge sheet in accordance with Sections 302, 34, 365, 201, and 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code, showing six suspects, MPA Jam Awais, Haider Ali, Meer Ali, Muhammad Mairaj, Jamal Ahmed alias Jamal Wahid, and Abdul Razzaq in judicial custody, five suspects on pre-arrest bail, and four suspects, including MNA Karim, as fugitives.
