THE Nazim Jokhio murder case now joins the list of countless others where power and influence have more or less bought suspects and perpetrators freedom, while the poor and vulnerable are forced to mourn the loss of their loved ones, without being given justice. The names of PPP lawmakers — brothers MPA Jam Awais and MNA Abdul Karim Bijjar — and 11 others have been removed from the list of suspects in the final charge sheet for “want of evidence” after a two-month-long scrutiny of charges by the office of the Sindh prosecutor general. This is an abuse of government offices to influence the case. Earlier, the Sindh government had requested the police to change the investigation officer in the case. All this flies in the face of the ruling party’s claim of upholding the rule of law, basic human rights and supremacy of the Constitution. While the PPP leadership issued statements to condemn the murder and made the usual promises of bringing the perpetrators to justice, the attempts made to influence the case and the final ‘surprise’ sprung by the highest office in the province tasked with upholding the rule of law, tell a different story. It is utterly disgraceful and highly condemnable that consecutive attempts by higher officials of the Sindh government were successful in influencing the outcome of what is surely an open-and-shut case.

Jokhio’s widow had already swallowed this bitter pill when in a video message earlier this month she declared she had pardoned the accused, claiming that there was no justice in Pakistan. Around the same time, the National Commission for Human Rights had also decided to intervene, saying that the family’s sudden decision to drop the case was the result of the pressure mounted by the perpetrators’ families and police. Indeed, the PPP leadership needs to dispel the impression that this abuse of law took place with their connivance by ensuring that due process is followed and that those responsible for the crime are punished accordingly.

Published in Dawn, April 16th, 2022