Minister for Human Rights Dr. Shireen Mazari has vowed to pursue the case pertaining to the murder of Nazim Jokhio, who was allegedly killed at Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA) Jam Awais’ farmhouse near Karachi’s Malir area, if the slain man’s family chose to reach a ‘compromise’ with the alleged killers. She said that the state would become party to the case if the relatives of the victim back down.
Relatives of the deceased have accused the PPP MPA, his brother, PPP Member of the National Assembly (MNA) Jam Abdul Karim, and their cronies of killing Nazim after he refused to allow the MNA’s Arab guests to hunt the local Houbara bustard. Nazim allegedly also filmed the Arab hunters in his village, the Acahar Salaar village in Thatta.
Nazim was found dead on November 3rd last year at the MPA’s farmhouse. Police confirmed that he had been beaten and tortured.
Police also confirmed that MPA Awais had been arrested, along with six unnamed suspects.
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Senator Saifullah Abro supported the slain man’s family during a session held by the Sindh inspector general of police (IGP) to brief lawmakers on the case on Monday.
“An FIR (first information report) was registered only after Nazim’s relatives staged a demonstration with his body on the National Highway,” Senator Abro said.
“It is not just birds that are hunted in Sindh,” he remarked. “There should be a briefing on what princes arriving from Arab [countries] do. [I] feel ashamed talking about the deeds of Arab princes who come to Sindh for hunting. Places where they are invited as guests, I don’t know what shameful activities take place there.”
Hunting of the Houbara bustard is banned in Pakistan, although 25-35 special permits are authorized to visiting Arabs each year to hunt the bird.
