Shahzeb murder case: Federal govt to file review plea with SC

ISLAMABAD: The federal government will appeal the Supreme Court verdict in the high-profile Shahzeb Khan murder case acquitting Shahrukh Jatoi and other accused.

A three-member bench of the apex court — headed by Justice Ijazul Ahsen — Tuesday acquitted Shah Rukh Jatoi and others.

“The Office of the Attorney General will be filing a review petition against the judgment of the Supreme Court in Shah Rukh Jatoi v. The State thr. A.G. Sindh pending issuance of detailed reasons, in the interest of justice”, says a statement issued by the Office of Attorney General for Pakistan after the apex court judgment.

“It is with concern that the Office of the Attorney General for Pakistan has noted the acquittal of the accused in Criminal Appeal No. 402/2019 titled Shah Rukh Jatoi v. The State thr. A.G. Sindh (Shahzeb Khan murder case) by the Supreme Court, without seeking the position of the Attorney-General”, the statement added.

It stated that this is despite the instant case having already been adjudicated to be one of constitutional importance by the Supreme Court, which mandates seeking the assistance of the Attorney-General – as has been sought previously in petitions pertaining to the same matter.

The AG’s Office recalled that in the case of Muhammad Jibran Nasir v. State, the Attorney General for Pakistan Mr. Ashtar Ausaf Ali had already contended that the accused persons had committed an act of egregious terrorism, and that the impugned acquittal order of the Sindh High Court dated 28.11.2017 was per incuriam in view of the Supreme Court’s own order that the accused be tried within the ambit of anti-terrorism provisions.

“The Attorney General’s position was duly accepted in the judgment of the Supreme Court, reported as PLD 2018 SC 351 and subsequently, convictions of the accused were upheld in appeal by the Sindh High Court, which followed convictions duly handed down after close consideration of the evidence at trial by the Learned Judge, Anti-Terrorism Court No. III, Karachi”, says the statement.

The AG office statement further reads, “Be that as it may, in the event that the Apex Court has arrived at an outcome outside of its own previous pronouncements relating to antiterrorism offences, the Attorney General’s assistance must regardless be sought as to the acceptance of compromise, the scope of fisad-fil-arz, and the particular circumstances of the instant case – in a which a review of judgment would be eminent”.