Rights activist urges people to demand justice for Nazim Jokhio

Rights activist activist, classical dancer and theatre artiste Sheema Kermani took to the Twitter on Monday against striking off the names of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) MPA Jam Awais and his brother MNA Jam Abdul Karim from the charge sheet of the Nazim Jokhio murder case.

“If our lives and property aren’t safe from our elected representatives, then from whom are we save?” she asked. She maintained that the MNA and MPA were involved in the murder but their names were removed from the charge sheet to provide them undue favour.

She asked if this should be state of affairs in a democracy or if that was tantamount to complying with the Constitution of Pakistan. “We don’t accept such a system which only supports the powerful,” she stressed. “We demand justice for Nazim Jokhio.”

She said the rights activists will own the slain Nazim. In another video statement, she appealed to everyone to demand justice for Jokhio. “Whosoever is involved in Nazim Jokhio’s murder must be punished as per the law,” she said, adding that they could not accept a system which only provided justice to the powerful segment of society or protected the powerful only.

She also announced that a demonstration would be held outside the Karachi Press Club at 4pm today (Tuesday). Jokhio’s tortured body was found at the Jam House said to be owned by the PPP MPA in Jam Goth on November 3, 2021. Jokhio’s brother lodged a case against the MPA, his younger brother MNA Karim and others for being involved in the murder of his 27-year-old brother.

According to the police, Jokhio was tortured to death for reportedly trying to prevent the lawmaker’s guests from hunting the houbara bustard in the Thatta district. Karim fled the country after the incident and recently returned to took part in the no-confidence motion against the prime minister. Later, the names of Awais, Karim and many others were removed from the charge sheet by the investigation officer who claimed that there was not enough evidence to implicate them in the case.

Jokhio’s widow also recently announced that she would not be pursuing the case because the system had failed her. In a video message, Shireen Jokhio said she wanted to fight but had been left "all alone by her own people", adding that she had taken the decision to pardon out of compulsion and for the safety of her children.