The District and Sessions Court in Karachi on Monday extended the interim bail of three accused in the Nazim Jokhio murder case till November 30.
The bail plea of the accused was heard in the Additional District and Sessions Court, Malir. During the hearing, accused Dodo Salar alias Dada, Mohammad Soomar and Saleem Salar appeared before the court.
Murtaza, a former investigating officer in the case, also appeared before the sessions court and informed the bench that the investigation of the case has been transferred to a new officer.
Additional District and Sessions Court Malir directed the new investigating officer of the case to appear before the court at the next hearing.
The court also ordered to present the case file at the next hearing and extended the interim bail of the accused till November 30.
The three accused in the case have been granted security bail by the Sindh High Court.
Earlier this week, Muhammad Afzal Salar Jokhio complainant in the case of his brother Nazimuddin Salar Jokhio murder withdrew the case against PPP MNA Jam Abdul Karim.
“Jam Abdul Karim has sworn before me that he is not involved in the murder of my brother but his (Jam Abdul Karim’s) brother Jam Awais and others are involved in his brother’s murder,” Afzal stated in his statement.
The three-page statement mostly repeated incidents Afzal had earlier narrated in his statement under section 154 CrPC for registration of first information report (FIR).
Earlier, Judicial Magistrate (II) Malir held that he would decide the application regarding the transfer of Nazim Jokhio murder case investigation to the Administrative Judge of Anti-Terrorism Courts after filing of the charge-sheet.
Nazimuddin Jokhio’s tortured body was found at the Jam House, said to be owned by MPA Awais, in Jam Goth on November 3.
Victim’s brother Muhammad Afzal nominated MPA Awais, his younger brother MNA Jam Abdul Karim and others for being involved in the murder of his 27-year-old brother who reportedly tried to prevent the lawmaker’s guests from hunting houbara bustard in Thatta district.
Muhammad Afzal Ahmed Jokhio on November 16 had moved an application before the judicial magistrate pleading to transfer the matter to the Administrative Judge of the Anti-Terrorism Courts.
Advocate Shah Muhammad Zaman Junejo alleged that MNA Jam Abdul Kareem Jokhio and his brother MPA Jam Awais alias Gohram Khan Bijar Jokhio being ‘Sardars’ of the Jokhio tribe and other community were influential persons.
He further stated that the motive behind committing the alleged murder of the applicant’s brother by the suspects was to restrain and teach lesson to Jokhio tribe and other community members not to raise any voice against them.
“The same action of murdering the deceased was committed in a barbaric and gruesome manner creating fear, terror, insecurity and anguish in the minds of a section of the public, particularly the entire community of the district Malir and Jokhio tribe,” read the application filed by Muhammad Afzal.
The Judicial Magistrate also rejected the request of newly appointed Investigation Officer (IO) Siraj Lashar to grant a 14-day physical remand of Jam Awais and five other accused and remanded them to judicial custody directing the IO to present the charge-sheet on December 2.
