–Chief Justice Nisar orders suspension of Landhi jail’s superintendent for providing B-Class facilities to under-trial murder accused
KARACHI: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar on Saturday ordered the authorities concerned to shift under-trial murder accused Shahrukh Jatoi to the death cell at Karachi Central Jail after the latter was found enjoying VIP treatment at the Landhi jail.
Jatoi, along with Siraj Talpur and others, is responsible for the murder of Shahzeb Khan.
The CJP gave the order during a surprise visit to Landhi Jail after hearing a slew of cases at the Supreme Court’s Karachi registry.
During the inspection, Justice Nisar expressed his anger at the jail authorities for providing C-class facilities to Jatoi. He questioned why a convicted murderer was allowed such facilities.
He also issued the directives to suspend the jail superintendent at the criminal negligence.
“He [Shahrukh] has been convicted by a court of murder; how is this possible,” the top judge remarked, and ordered the Inspector General Prisons to submit a report into the matter.
“On what basis and law is a murder accused being given this many facilities,” Justice Nisar asked as he also ordered an investigation to identify those responsible.
The top judge also inspected the superintendent’s room. However, the prison authorities did not allow the media to accompany the former during the inspection.
Later on, acting IG Prisons Qazi Nazir appeared in the SC registry on the CJP’s orders. “Go to the jail immediately and take action against those responsible,” the judge told him.
In 2013, an anti-terrorism court had awarded death sentences to Jatoi and Siraj Talpur for the murder of Shahzeb, while Sajjad Ali Talpur and Ghulam Murtaza Lashari were handed life sentences.
Shahzeb was gunned down by Jatoi in a posh locality of Karachi on December 25, 2012.
The Sindh High Court (SHC) later set aside the punishments awarded to the accused by the anti-terrorism court and ordered a retrial of the case in a session court.
However, the Supreme Court (SC) took a suo motu action and nullified the SHC order earlier this year.