Jazlan’s murder raises question over powerlessness to end feudal mindset in Sindh

KARACHI: The horrific murder of a 19-year-old boy, Jazlan Faisal, over a petty dispute has raised questions over the Sindh government’s powerlessness before the cruel feudal mindset.

An investigation had been launched on Thursday a day after the murder of the 19-year-old, who was shot dead and his 20-year-old-friend Shah Mir Ali, who was wounded, allegedly by some other youths after an on-road scuffle upon the victims’ objection to their reckless late-night bike-riding the previous night at Bahria Town Karachi.

It is being said that the suspected murderers are belonging to an influential family.

‘Children of influential families’

On Thursday, SSP Mahar told Dawn that the suspects were teenagers and he did not think that they possessed a license for the pistol that was used in the killing. Investigators were also trying to recover the weapon used in the murder, he added.

The SSP regretted that children of certain influential families, which had money or power tended to fight over minor issues, resulting in such tragic incidents. He lamented that a quarrel has also recently taken place between the youths over bike racing inside Malir Cantonment.

Case registration

A case was lodged under Sections 34 (common intention), 302 (premeditated murder) and 324 (attempt to murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code at the Gadap City police station on the complaint of the victim’s paternal uncle, Arif Sabir. Later, the police also incorporated Sections 109 (punishment for abetment) and 114 (abettor present when offence is committed).

After arrests of the suspects, a local Karachi court on Monday remanded two suspects in police custody till June 2 for interrogation regarding the murder of youth Jazlan Faisal over a petty dispute in Bahria Town Karachi (BTK) last week.

The police arrested brothers Mohammed Irfan and Mohammed Hasnain. Two other suspects — Inshal and Mohammed Ihsan alias Ahsan, who is a brother of the two detained suspects — are still absconding. Mohammed Faiz, the father of the three suspects, was also detained for questioning.

On Monday the investigating officer (IO) produced Hasnain and Faiz before Judicial Magistrate (Malir) Furqan Karim to seek their physical custody for interrogation.

He requested the judge to grant 14-day physical remand of both the suspects in police custody for interrogation and completion of the investigation and other legal formalities.

On the other hand, the suspects’ defence counsel vehemently opposed the IO’s request for remand.

The defence counsel produced Hasnain’s birth certificate and argued that he could not be remanded in police custody since he was a juvenile. They pleaded that Hasnain be remanded in judicial custody.

The magistrate rejected the defence counsel’s plea and remanded the father-son duo in police custody till June 2. He directed the IO to produce them on the next date along with an investigation report.

‘Orphaned child’

Imran Aslam Khan, an uncle of the deceased, told Dawn.com that Jazlan was one of three “orphaned siblings” since their father, Faisal, died in 2012. The uncle said that Jazlan’s elder sister lives in Australia while he was pursuing a chartered accountancy course.

FIR stated murder scene

In the FIR, the uncle, Arif Sabir stated that he was at his home at Haroon Bungalows when he received a phone call from Shah Mir, who asked him to immediately come to the Aga Khan University Hospital at around 2am on Wednesday.

When he reached the hospital, he saw that his nephew Jazlan and Shah Mir were in the emergency ward with bullet wounds. Jazlan was unconscious and on the ventilator but Shah Mir was in a position to speak.

He informed him that he, Jazlan and their friend Zargam were travelling in Zargam’s car and were returning after meeting their relative Ibrahim. They were travelling on Jinnah Avenue when they saw a youth riding a motorbike in a very ‘dangerous manner’ and narrowly missed hitting their car.

When they angrily asked the youth as to why he was riding his motorbike in such a dangerous way, the youth started using abusive language resulting in an exchange of hot words.

The biker immediately phoned his brothers. In the meantime, the car’s occupants drove away after they saw that they were being followed by the motorcyclist and another car.

When they reached BTK’s ‘Eiffel Tower’, the suspects travelling in the car overtook the other vehicle and opened fire on the victims. As a result, Shah Mir and Jazlan suffered bullet wounds while their friend Zargam remained unhurt. Jazlan was hit in the head.

After the firing, several people rushed to the spot and shifted the wounded to a nearby hospital inside BTK from where the victims were taken to the Aga Khan University Hospital where Jazlan died during treatment.

According to Shah Mir, three brothers — Mohammed Ihsan alias Ahsan, Mohammed Irfan and Mohammed Hasnain — and Inshal allegedly attacked them and fled from the crime scene.

Similar crimes by influential people

In December 2012, a youth Shahzeb Khan had been killed by the children of influential families, Shahrukh Jatoi and Siraj Talpur, in Karachi when he resisted to protect her sister from the suspects.

After the fight had ended the Shahrukh and Siraj eventually traced Shahzeb again and gunned him down.

In 2013 the parents of the Shahzeb filed an affidavit with the court pardoning all four accused and requesting their release. The mother, Ambreen Aurangzeb was quoted as saying “We may not have forgiven them in our hearts, but we have pardoned our son’s killers in the name of Allah. We cannot spend our entire lives in fear… we took the decision considering the circumstances.”

In November 2021, a young man, Nazim Jokhio had been found tortured to death inside a Malir farmhouse as the victim had made a video of some foreign hunters in his village in Thatta district recently.

The victim had also recorded his own video saying that his life was in danger because certain elements were threatening him. He had asked authorities to put his video on record.

After one year of trial, the widow of slain Nazim Jokhio said that she was pardoning all suspects — including PPP MPA Jam Awais and his brother, MNA Jam Abdul Karim — accused of her husband’s murder.

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.

“Only my brothers and sisters who have children can understand the pain I’m going through right now,” she said. “I haven’t received any offer for a deal… I’m not doing this for money… I’m not selfish. I’m an honest girl.”

Shireen said that she had left matters to Allah’s will but also remarked that “justice can’t be served in Pakistan.”