SUKKUR: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) has taken suo motu notice of the May 31 murder of a woman lawyer, Sanam Umrani, who was appearing in court for her brother, Waqar Umrani, in a case pertaining to the 2015 murder of his wife, Tahira Khoso. Waqar was shot dead in Balochistan a few months after his wife’s murder in Jacobabad, where he lived.

Sanam Umrani, mother of three, was shot dead by armed men who broke into her house in Jacobabad.

Her murder was believed to be linked with the Umrani-Khoso hostility that cropped up after Tahira Khoso’s murder in 2015.

According to the lawyer fraternity in Jacobabad, the CJP took suo notice of the matter on an application filed by Sanam Umrani’s sister, Nayab Sikandar Umrani. They said the chief justice questioned efficiency of the area police amid one after the other murder of innocent people.

According to reports, the CJP has asked the Sindh inspector general of police (IGP) to submit in the apex court a detailed report about the matter within a month.

In her application, Nayab Umrani prayed for transfer of her sister’s murder case to Islamabad because she feared for her life due to the hostility.

She also sought police protection, saying she was under threat from feudal lords of Jacobabad.

In her application, she informed the CJP that her stepbrothers had killed her mother, sister, brother and sister-in-law to occupy their properties.

Published in Dawn, July 7th, 2018