Police authorities have formed a new team to probe the murder of Nazimuddin Jokhio, who was allegedly murdered at two PPP lawmakers' farmhouse in Karachi's Malir area earlier this month, it emerged on Wednesday.

The step was taken after Nazim's brother Muhammad Afzal Jokhio, the complainant in the case, 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.

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.

According to an order issued by DIG (Crime and Investigation) Asim Khan, dated Nov 16, 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."

DIG Khan directed Inspector Siraj Lashari of Hyderabad range to investigate the case under the supervision of DSP Ghulam Ali Jumani of Sukkur range and overall supervision of AIG Tanveer Alam Odho "to ensure early finalisation of [the] case purely on merit".

'Tyranny' of feudalism

Meanwhile, while speaking at a programme titled ‘Negative influences of Sardari system on the society and the role of media’ at the Karachi Press Club, Afzal said that he and his family had suffered greatly at the hands of sardars.

He said his brother Nazim had sought to resist such elements to eliminate feudalism and would never surrender before them. “I and my family are grieved as we have been subjected to tyranny,” Afzal said, adding that while they belonged to a poor family living in a village on Karachi's outskirts, they would challenge the status quo.

Mohammed Khan Sheikh, a lawyer who is voluntarily supporting the family, accused police of having deliberately "spoiled" the investigation of the case. He said Nazim's family was facing threats from influential persons but such threats would not deter them from pursuing the path of justice.

Tracing the history of feudalism, Prof Dr Riaz Sheikh said the party-less general elections of 1985 dealt a severe blow to progressive politics in the country, and led to regressive politics, corruption and repression in the society.

Mahnaz Rahman, Dr Tauseef Ahmed, Younis Mahar and others also spoke at the event, which was organised by the Media Care Foundation and Awami Awaz media group.