KARACHI: Slain journalist Nazim Jokhio’s mother has approached a sessions court and denied having an out-of-court settlement over her son’s brutal murder with alleged killer Jam Awais Bijar, a Pakistan Peoples Party’s member of Sindh assembly.
Nazim Jokhio’s 52-year-old mother Jamiat filed an application through her counsel Mazhar Ali Junejo on Saturday, stating that she did not make a deal with the accused, as I had previously made a compromise because of pressure/influence from the accused. I hereby withdraw the same and ask that it be recognized as null and void.
The mother’s application has been filed with the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge (Malir) Faraz Ahmed Chandio, who was set to formally indict the detained MPA Jam Awais and his nine servants/guards booked for allegedly kidnapping, abating and torturing to death Nazim Jokhio.
MPA Jam Awais has been charged with murdering 26-year-old Nazim Jokhio at the MPA’s farmhouse in Malir together with his servants/guards Haider Ali, Meer Ali, Muhammad Mairaj, Mohammad Saleem Salar, Mohammad Doda Khan, Ahmed Khan Shoro, and Mohammad Soomar.
The Malir district prison’s superintendent filed a declaration stating that the jailed MPA could not be produced before the court because he was suffering from “high blood pressure symptoms.”
Five suspects — Saleem Salar, Doda Khan, Mohammad Soomar, Mohammad Mairaj and Ahmed Khan Shoro — appeared on bail while two detained brothers Haider Ali and Meer Ali were produced from the prison.
Afzal Jokhio, the complainant and the brother of the murdered Nazim Jokhio, arrived in court and claimed that Advocate Mazhar Ali Junejo was not his legal representative.
During this time, Mr. Junejo filed a power of attorney on behalf of Ms. Jamiat, the deceased’s mother.
The counsel also filed a statement supported by an affidavit signed by Ms Jamiat stating that she, being a legal heir of the slain Nazim Jokhio, did not compromise her son’s murder with the accused persons.
The mother made it clear that an earlier out-of-court settlement that was allegedly filed in court with her son Afzal Jokio and the victim’s widow Shireen was the result of “pressure/influence by the accused parties”
Therefore, the mother pleaded before the court that the to declare it null and void.
However, Ms Jamiat’s application was not taken up during the hearing.
