Eight-member team to probe Nazim Jokhio’s murder

KARACHI: An eight-member investigation team has been formed to probe the brutal killing of Nazim Jokhio, who was allegedly killed by Pakistan People's Party’s lawmaker in Karachi a few days ago.

Jam Awais Bijar Khan Jokhio, the Sindh MPA of PPP, surrendered to the Malir police. He was accused of beating Nazim Jokhio, a social worker, to death, for posting a video of the PPP lawmaker’s foreign guests hunting houbara bustard in Thatta district on social media.

The development occurred in the early hours of Friday after the police released his picture while recording his initial statement at a police station. He also appeared before the court on Friday, which approved his three-day physical remand and handed him over to the police for further interrogation.

As the case has gained high importance, Zone East DIG Saqib Ismail Memon formed an eight-member investigation team, headed by District Malir SSP Irfan Bahadur, to probe the killing of Nazim Johkio allegedly by PPP MPA Jam Awais. The East Zone Investigation II SSP Arab Mahar, East Zone Investigation I SSP Altaf Hussain, Memon Goth SDPO DSP Kanwar Asif, East Zone Investigation I DSP Yousuf Jamal, East Zone Investigation I Inspector Fareeduddin, Sacchal SIO Mukhtiar Panhwar and Shah Latif SHO Ghulam Mujtaba Bajwa are the other members of the investigation team. The head of the team shall submit the progress report on regular basis till the finalization of case.

As MPA Jam Awais surrendered to the police, the bereaved family members and local residents, who had staged protests against the murder on the National Highway, blocking it with burning tyres that caused complete suspension of traffic between Karachi and Thatta, also ended their 15-hour-long protest.

The PPP lawmaker and four others have been booked over the murder case of Nazim Johkio at Memon Goth police station. The case was registered on the complaint of vicitm’s brother, Afzal Johkio, who blamed MPA Jam Awais and others for killing his brother for posting the video of hunting.

On Friday, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah also visited the heirs of Nazim Johkio and offered condolences. The PPP ministers and leaders, including Imtiaz Shaikh, Saeed Ghani, Sajid Johkio and Riaz Shah, were also accompanied by him. The CM inquired about the incident from the family and told them that he had ordered the police to register the case on the wish of the family. “The family will get justice,” he said.

Earlier, a judicial magistrate on Friday remanded Jam Awais into police custody for three days on charges of murder. The tortured dead body of 27-year-old Nazim Sajawal Johkio was found at the Jam House in Jam Goth, owned by the PPP MPA, on November 3. The brother of the victim had nominated Awais and MNA Jam Abdul Karim for the murder.

The investigation officer pleaded with the magistrate to grant him custody of the suspect for two weeks on physical remand to complete the interrogation as the other suspect was still at large.

The court, however, remanded the suspect into police custody for three days with the direction to the IO to produce Awais along with the progress report on the next hearing.