LARKANA, June 30: Samad Bhutto alias Gippi, one of the main accused in the murder of Bhutto clan chief Sardar Wahid Bakhsh Bhutto, was acquitted and released on Monday in the backdrop of a remissive application filed by the legal heirs of Sardar seeking amnesty for Samad Bhutto after pardoning him of any wrongdoing.

A close relative of PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto and PPP loyalist Sardar Wahid Bakhsh Bhutto was brutally murdered on 8 October, 2000 amidst reports of conspiracy theories and intra-family disputes.

Seven people were accused and charged for murder, including Sardar Wahid Bakhsh Bhutto’s brother, Samad Bhutto. Other accused included Farrukh Qadri, Akbar Lubano, Kamran Maseeh, Ghulam Shabbir, Paryal Bhutto and Nawab Machi.

The complainant in the case, Aamir Bhutto, after refusing to pardon Samad Bhutto for all these years, finally appeared before the 1st additional sessions judge, Larkana, Abdul Ghani Soomro, in his chamber on June 19 along with his mother, Nazli Begum, and a sister, Huma Bhutto.

According to the reader of the court, Ghulam Mustafa Narejo, the complainant, and his family members filed a remissive application in which they pardoned Samad Bhutto and sought his release after acquittal.

Central Prison Larkana authorities released Samad Bhutto after receiving orders from the first additional sessions judge, Larkana, on Monday.