Shahzeb Murder Case: Shahrukh Jatoi freed from Malir Jail 

Shahrukh Jatoi, main accused in the high-profile Shahzeb Khan murder case, has been released from the Malir Jail after 10 years, reported 24News HD TV channel.  

Shahrukh Jatoi was to be released, yesterday, but due to incomplete paperwork, the accused had to spend another day in the Malir jail.

In October, the Supreme Court of Pakistan acquitted Shahrukh Jatoi and his accomplices in the 2012 Shahzeb murder case.

The apex court had annulled the Sindh High Court’s verdict to uphold the punishment of the accused in the case and ordered their release following reconciliation with the victim’s family.

Pertinent to note that Shahzeb, the son of former deputy superintendent of police Aurangzeb Khan, was murdered in 2012 in Karachi’s defence area over a petty dispute.

Shahzeb had returned home from a wedding party with his family when an employee of the accused verbally harassed his sister. He confronted the accused and demanded an apology. 

The accused, however, were remorseless and refused to apologize for the behaviour of their employee. The issue was apparently resolved when Shahzeb s father intervened and tried to pacify both his son and the other party. After the fight had ended the Shahrukh and Siraj eventually traced Shahzeb again and gunned him down.

In June 2013, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) awarded the death penalty to Shahrukh and Siraj Talpur, while Sajjad Talpur and Ghulam Murtaza Lashari were given life imprisonment.

Shahrukh was handed down an additional three years in prison for illegal possession of a weapon. The ATC also directed the convicts to pay a Rs500,000 fine each.

As he had walked out of the court after the verdict was announced, Shahrukh Jatoi had posed with victory signs for the countless cameras trained on him. This behaviour again drew condemnations from civil society.

A few months after the verdict, however, the victim s father granted a pardon to the accused. Reportedly, the pardon was granted under duress. The convicts then again approached the Sindh High Court (SHC) for a review of the verdict.

In November 2017, the SHC decided on the criminal review petition, set aside the capital punishment awarded to the two accused and ordered a retrial.