The Court of the 1st Additional Sessions Judge, Dadu, pronounced the verdict in one of the most high-profile cases in Sindh’s history, acquitting all the accused by extending the benefit of the doubt. Judge Hassan Ali Kalwar, in a detailed 223-page judgment, held that Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leaders Sardar Ahmed Chandio and his brother Burhan Khan Chandio, along with former SHO Karim Chandio, Sattar Chandio, Ali Gohar Chandio, Murtaza Chandio, Sikandar Chandio, and Zulfiqar Chandio, were not guilty of the murder of Karamullah Chandio, Mukhtiar Chandio, and Qabil Chandio — the father, grandfather, and brother of human rights activist Ume Rubab Chandio — who were reportedly murdered on 18-01-2018 within the limits of A-Section Police Station, Mehar City, District Dadu.
The trial, which continued for around eight years, culminated in the exoneration of all the accused. The court found that there were material contradictions in the statements of prosecution witnesses, along with dishonest improvements, as well as a delay of several hours in the registration of the First Information Report (FIR). All the accused, during their statements recorded under Section 342 of Cr.P.C., denied the allegations of triple murder, whereas the allegations of abetment and conspiracy against the PPP lawmaker and his brother also stood disproved.
Strict security arrangements were put in place prior to the announcement of the verdict. SHOs from 30 police stations, along with 6 DSPs and 589 police personnel, were deployed. Roads within a two-kilometer radius of the court were sealed, and checkpoints were established.
Reacting to the verdict, complainant Ume Rubab Chandio stated that her morale remains high. She remarked that the world is astonished that, in Sindh, feudal lords seem to have been given a license to kill. She added that she would challenge the court’s decision in the High Court. Her lawyer, Salahuddin Panhwar, also announced that an appeal would be filed against the Model Court’s decision in the Sindh High Court.
An emotionally charged Ume Rubab chanted slogans against federalism and injustice along with her supporters, while the supporters of PPP MPA Burhan Khan Chandio and his brother came out onto the roads and engaged in celebratory firing, violating all laws and restrictions. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, in a statement, expressed reservations regarding the verdict of the case.