Shahzeb murder case: SHC nullifies death sentence awarded to both convicts

KARACHI (92 News) – The Sindh High Court on Tuesday nullified the death sentence awarded to all convicts in Shahzeb murder case. The court also removed the ATA sections in the case, declaring the case a personal vendetta. The SHC also remanded the case to the subordinate court and ordered its retrial. The court observed that the subordinate court had wrongly framed charges against the accused. Farooq H Naik, counsel for the accused, stated that the ATC had not fulfilled the legal requirements. He said that the accused was below 18 when the incident occurred and the birth certificate produced in court bore incorrect name of the accused’s father. He said that the issue was personal and the case is not under the ATC. Prosecutor General Shahadat Awan told court that the families of Shahzeb and Shah Rukh had reconciled and only the aspect of terrorism has to be reviewed. After hearing the arguments, the court nullified the death sentence of Shah Rukh Jatoi, Siraj Talpur, Sajjad Talpur and Ghulam Murtaza. Shahzeb Khan, son of influential businessman Sikandar Jatoi, was killed on December 24, 2012. A case was registered against seven people, including Shahrukh Jatoi, Nawab Siraj Talpur, Sajjad Talpur and Murtaza Lashari. On June7, 2013, an anti-terrorism court awarded death sentences to Shahrukh Jatoi and Siraj Talpur while life imprisonment to Sajjad Talpur and Ghulam Murtaza.