Witness says liquor bottles in Sharjeel’s hospital room contained honey and olive oil

A witness deposed on Saturday that liquor bottles confiscated from the hospital room of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Sharjeel Memon contained olive oil and honey.

The witness was a director at the laboratories and chemical examination department which had examined the bottles sent by the jail authorities after they were detected by then chief justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar during a surprise visit to the hospital where the incarcerated PPP leader had been shifted from jail on account of health issues.

The assistant superintendent of jail, who lodged the FIR on the orders of then chief justice, also appeared to record his testimony.

He confirmed before the judicial magistrate South presiding over the trial that the said bottles were sent by him for chemical examination.

The court had indicted Memon and his three domestic helps, Shakar Din, Mushtaq Ali and Muhammad, in the liquor possession case in February 2020. They had pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Two bottles of liquor were allegedly found in Memon’s room in the Ziauddin Hospital, Clifton, which had been declared sub-jail by the provincial home authorities.

According to the charge sheet, the co-accused admitted that they dumped the liquor into a dustbin and also replaced their contents. They were taken into custody on the charges of tampering with the evidence.

After the incident, the PPP leadership appeared on media insisting that the bottles contained honey and olive oil. The chemical report read the same that there was no alcohol in them. Also the blood report of Memon did not find any alcohol traces.

However, then Karachi police chief, AIG Dr Amir Ahmed Shaikh, formed a special team to investigate the case as he suspected a foul play. The special team subsequently prepared its report and assisted the investigation team.