Karachi: The National Commission for Human Rights’ plea to become an intervener in the murder case of slain activist, Nazim Jokhio, was opposed by his widow and brother on Thursday, media reports suggested.
Nazim Jokhio was found dead at the Malir farmhouse of the PPP MPA Jam Awais on Nov 3, 2021.
Soon after that, Nazim Jokhio’s brother, Afzal Jokhio, had nominated the PPP MPA Jam Awais, his brother MNA Jam Abdul Karim and their bodyguards in the murder of the activist. Jokhio was slain for resisting the hunting of houbara bustard by the lawmakers’ foreign guests.
However, on Thursday, when the NCHR requested to intervene in the case, Jokhio’s widow and brother separately filed written objections to the NCHR’s plea.
They stated that the NCHR had no locus standi to become an intervener in the case as the signatory of the application, who claimed to be the chairman/member of the Sindh National Commission for Human Rights, did not hold any position as per law.
They further stated that as per Section 3 of the NCHR Act, 2012 it was the powers of the federal government to constitute a commission that will exercise the powers and perform the functions under this Act only and no other person could act on the commission’s behalf.
The widow and her brother-in-law said that the relevant section under which the intervener application had been filed was related to functions of the commission and all procedures/quorum for a meeting shall not be less than one-half of the total membership of the commission and a decision shall be taken by the majority members, but it transpired that the NCHR’s application was not filed after obtaining the requisite permission of its governing members. They asked the court to dismiss the application.
