Top court acquits convicted killers in case seen as test of Pakistan’s treatment of elite

Shahrukh Jatoi (C) gestures as he leaves a court after being convicted for murder in the Pakistani port city of Karachi on June 7, 2013. (AFP/File)
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Updated 18 October 2022
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Top court acquits convicted killers in case seen as test of Pakistan’s treatment of elite

  • Shahzeb Khan’s 2012 murder sparked widespread outrage on mainstream and social media
  • The prime suspects Siraj Tapur and Shahrukh Jatoi both belong to wealthy families

KARACHI: Pakistan’s top court on Tuesday acquitted the prime suspects and their co-accused for the murder of a police officer’s son, reigniting social media outrage over a case that has gripped the nation for almost a decade since the killing took place in the southern port city of Karachi in 2012.

On the night of December 24, 2012, 20-year-old Shahzeb Khan, the son of a deputy superintendent of police (DSP), was gunned down in Karachi’s Defense Housing Authority while returning home from a wedding with his sister. The murder took place after Khan got into a fight with Ghulam Murtaza Lashari, the staff member of a wealthy feudal family, for threatening and harassing his sister. As the conflict intensified, Siraj Talpur, Lashari’s employer, and one of his friends, Shahrukh Jatoi, went after Khan and gunned him down.

Then chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry took suo motu notice of the incident, which sparked widespread outrage on mainstream and social media and was seen as a test case of whether members of the country’s privileged elite could be held accountable by the law.

In 2013, an Anti-Terrorism Court awarded death sentences to Jatoi and Talpur and a life sentence to Lashari.

“A three-member bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Justice Ijazul Ahsan, has acquitted Shahrukh Jatoi and other accused today after squashing terrorism charges against them,” Jatoi’s lawyer, Latif Khosa, told Arab News, saying the court had also acquitted Talpur.

“The three-member bench observed that terrorism charges didn’t apply to a murder case that happened at midnight,” the lawyer said, adding that the apex court’s order would reach the jail through the Sindh High Court and his client would be released after that.

A few months after the ATC handed down death sentences to the key accused in 2013, Khan’s parents had issued a formal pardon for the convicts, which was approved by the Sindh High Court (SHC).

Despite the pardon, however, the death penalty was upheld because the charges included that of terrorism. In 2017, the murder case took a dramatic turn when the Sindh High Court dropped the terror charges and ordered a retrial, striking down the death penalty awarded to the convicts by the ATC and converting it into life imprisonment.

In its order, the SHC said an act of revenge over personal enmity did not equate to an act of terrorism. The convicts then approached the Supreme Court against the life sentences.

Pakistani law allows criminal cases against those charged with a killing to be dropped if the families of their victims forgive them, or accept a “blood money” offering instead.

The forgiveness option in the law can effectively waive a complainant’s right to seek the punishment of the accused. Changing the law to remove the possibility of “forgiveness” could help cut the number of killings in Pakistan, experts have long argued.

“The rich and powerful exploit provision of compromise in our legal system to get away with murder of the weak & poor,” lawyer and activist Jibran Nasir said after Tuesday’s SC verdict.

 

 

“If this judgment doesn’t demonstrate that there are different standards applied in our law for the rich and powerful then I don’t know what does,” lawyer Hassan A Niazi tweeted.

 

 

“Shahrukh Jatoi’ acquittal proves that it is almost impossible to convict the elite in Pakistan,” journalist Maria Memon said.

 

 


Met Office issues GLOF alert for northern Pakistan amid rising temperatures

Updated 05 July 2025
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Met Office issues GLOF alert for northern Pakistan amid rising temperatures

  • Hot and humid weather prevailed over most parts of Pakistan in the last 24 hours
  • Monsoon rains and glacier melt caused deadly floods in 2022, affecting 33 million

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Friday issued an alert regarding possible Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) in Pakistan’s northern areas, amid rising temperatures in the country.

Hot and humid weather prevailed over most parts of Pakistan and isolated falls of rain were recorded in Punjab, Azad Kashmir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Sindh in the last 24 hours.

Nokkundi in Balochistan recorded the highest temperature on Friday 47°C, followed by 46°C in Bunji in Gilgit-Baltistan, and 45 in Dalbandin, Sibbi and Jacobabad, according to the PMD.

“Due to a significant rise in temperatures and upcoming system in northern Pakistan, the risk of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) is very likely to increase in glaciated areas of Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” it said.

“The persistent high temperatures may accelerate snow and glacier melt and subsequent weather events, potentially triggering GLOF and flash floods incidents, in vulnerable valleys and surrounding regions.”

The development comes as Pakistan braces for an extreme monsoon season that usually lasts till mid-September, with over 60 people killed in rains and floods in a little more than a week.

“All concerned are advised to remain alert and take necessary measures to avoid any untoward situation,” the PMD said in its alert.

Pakistan, home to over 240 million people, is consistently ranked among the countries most vulnerable to climate change.

In 2022, record-breaking monsoon rains and glacier melt caused catastrophic floods that affected 33 million people, killed more than 1,700 and caused over $30 billion in financial losses.


Death toll from Pakistan building collapse rises to 15

Updated 05 July 2025
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Death toll from Pakistan building collapse rises to 15

  • Friday’s incident was the latest in a string of deadly building collapses in Karachi
  • It laid bare the issue of unsafe housing in the city, home to over 20 million people

KARACHI: The death toll from a five-storey building collapse in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi rose to 15 on Saturday, officials said, after rescuers pulled more bodies from the rubble overnight.

The Fotan Mansion residential building, where several families were said to be living, crumbled shortly around 10am on Friday in the impoverished Lyari neighborhood of the city.

Rescue workers, along with residents of the area, continued their operation to find survivors and bodies through the night, once again laying bare the issue of unsafe housing in Karachi.

“Rescue operation still continues at Baghdadi Lyari where the building had collapsed yesterday,” Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab said. “As of now the death toll is 15.”

The building collapse left around a dozen other people injured.

Many of the occupants were members of the low-income Hindu minority community and residents estimated that around 40 people were inside when the building collapsed.

According to the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA), Fotan Mansion had been declared unsafe as far back as 2012.

“This building was declared dangerous by the SBCA in 2012 and had been served multiple notices over the years,” SBCA spokesperson Shakeel Dogar told Arab News. “Before the recent rains, public announcements were also made in the area, but unfortunately, no one was willing to vacate.”

Friday’s incident is the latest in a string of deadly building collapses in Karachi.

In February 2020, a five-storey building collapsed in Rizvia Society, killing at least 27 people. The following month, another residential structure came down in Gulbahar, claiming 16 lives. In June 2021, a three-storey building in Malir collapsed, killing four. And just last year, in August, a building collapse in Qur'angi led to at least three deaths.

Mayor Wahab said on Friday evening that rescue efforts remained their top priority, with accountability and investigation to follow.

“Once we’re done with the rescue aspect, we will focus on who was responsible for this negligence or omission,” he added.


Pakistan seeks Saudi investment in agri-infrastructure, eyes long-term food security

Updated 20 min 23 sec ago
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Pakistan seeks Saudi investment in agri-infrastructure, eyes long-term food security

  • Pakistan proposes joint work on desert agriculture, seed development and water efficiency
  • It highlights commitment to climate-adaptive agriculture amid environmental degradation

KARACHI: Pakistan on Friday urged Saudi Arabia to invest in agricultural research and storage infrastructure as part of a broader push for sustainable food security, according to an official statement.

The call was made during a meeting between Federal Minister for National Food Security Rana Tanveer Hussain and Saudi Ambassador Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki in Islamabad, following the launch ceremony of the third phase of the Saudi Food Security Support Project in Pakistan.

“Rana Tanveer Hussain shared Pakistan’s long-term vision for achieving sustainable food security through investment in agricultural research, innovation and modernized farming systems,” said the statement circulated after the meeting.

“The Minister proposed deeper collaboration between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in key areas such as joint agricultural research, technological exchange and investment in food processing and storage infrastructure,” it added.

Hussain also highlighted Pakistan’s commitment to improving irrigation practices and promoting climate-adaptive agriculture to address the growing challenges posed by environmental degradation.

He invited Saudi investors to explore opportunities in agri-based projects, particularly in high-yield zones, and called for institutional cooperation between universities and research centers in both countries.

The minister also proposed joint work on desert agriculture, seed development and water efficiency, describing them as high-impact areas for regional collaboration.

Earlier, he distributed food baskets to families under the Saudi Food Security Support Project and interacted with recipients.

Now in its third phase, the Saudi-backed initiative is delivering essential food supplies to thousands of households across Pakistan, providing much-needed relief amid climate-related challenges.


Azerbaijan signs $2 billion investment agreements with Pakistan on sidelines of ECO summit

Updated 04 July 2025
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Azerbaijan signs $2 billion investment agreements with Pakistan on sidelines of ECO summit

  • Development came after sustained engagement between Pakistani and Azerbaijani officials recently
  • PM Shehbaz Sharif also held separate meetings with the presidents of Turkiye, Iran and Uzbekistan

ISLAMABAD: Azerbaijan signed investment agreements worth $2 billion with Pakistan on Friday to boost economic cooperation, said an official statement released in Islamabad, in a major development during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to the Central Asian state for the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) summit.

The two-day summit, hosted in Khankendi, Azerbaijan, focused on a sustainable and climate-resilient future for the region.

In his address, Sharif warned that climate change posed an existential threat to ECO member states, highlighting the impact of melting glaciers, floods, desertification and declining crop yields. He also emphasized more trade, tourism and regional integration to enhance economic prosperity.

“In the presence of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar and Azerbaijan’s Minister of Economy Mikayil Jabbarov signed agreements for $2 billion of investment in Pakistan’s economic sector from Azerbaijan,” the PM Office announced in a statement.

The agreements were signed following a bilateral meeting between Sharif and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, with officials hoping for a more detailed agreement during Aliyev’s upcoming visit to Pakistan.

“The agreement has elevated investment and trade relations between the two countries to a historic level and will serve as a guarantee for further strengthening their brotherly ties and commercial partnership,” the official Pakistani statement added.

It also described the development as a result of sustained engagement between Pakistani ministries and diplomats and their Azerbaijani counterparts over recent months.

SIDELINE DIPLOMACY

On the sidelines of the summit, Sharif held separate meetings with the presidents of Turkiye, Iran and Uzbekistan, reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to regional cooperation, peace and connectivity.

In his meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, both leaders reviewed the full spectrum of bilateral relations and vowed to accelerate progress in critical areas.

“The two leaders reiterated their resolve to bring about meaningful progress in relations... [emphasizing] the importance of deepening cooperation in trade, defense, energy, connectivity and investment,” said a separate handout by the PM Office.

To advance this agenda, both sides agreed to exchange high-level delegations to finalize understandings reached between the sides.

In another key engagement, the Pakistani prime minister met Iranian President Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian, with both sides reviewing the implementation of previous agreements to strengthen bilateral ties.

Sharif praised Iran’s leadership during the recent conflict with Israel and welcomed Tehran’s decision to agree to a ceasefire.

“The Prime Minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering solidarity with the people and Government of Iran and Pakistan’s strong commitment to continue working closely with Iran for peace in the region through dialogue and diplomacy,” the statement said.

In his meeting with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Sharif focused on regional integration, energy cooperation, and the Trans-Afghan Railway Project, which is seen as vital for unlocking trade corridors between Central and South Asia.

“The two leaders agreed on visits of their senior ministers to Tashkent and Islamabad to finalize necessary agreements,” the PMO said, adding that both sides viewed their cultural and historical ties as a strong foundation for broader collaboration.


Escaped lion attacks woman and children in Pakistan street

Updated 04 July 2025
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Escaped lion attacks woman and children in Pakistan street

  • CCTV footage shows the lion jumping the barrier around its home and pursuing the family
  • It knocks the woman to the ground and claws the arms and faces of her two children

LAHORE: An escaped pet lion chased a woman and two children down a busy street in Pakistan’s Lahore, police said Friday, with dramatic footage showing the big cat leaping a wall before pouncing on them.

CCTV footage released by the police showed the lion jumping the barrier around its home and pursuing a woman carrying her shopping on Thursday night.

The lion jumped on her back, knocking her to the ground, the footage showed.

A police report quoted the father as saying the lion then turned to his five-year-old and seven-year-old children, and clawed their arms and faces.

All three were taken to hospital but were not in a critical condition.

The owners who ran out of the house were “amused to see their lion attack” the passersby, the father added in the report.

Police said Friday they had arrested three men.

“The suspects fled from the spot, taking the lion with them. They were arrested within 12 hours of the incident,” the office of the Deputy Inspector General Operations in Lahore told AFP.

The lion, an 11-month-old male, has been confiscated by police and sent to a wildlife park.

Officials at the facility said that the animal appears to be in good health.

Keeping exotic animals, especially big cats, as pets has long been seen as a sign of privilege and power in Punjab, the most populous province of the country.

In December 2024, an adult lion escaped from its enclosure in another neighborhood of Lahore, terrorizing residents before being shot dead by a security guard.

The incident prompted the provincial government to pass new laws regulating the sale, purchase, breeding and ownership of big cats.

The law now requires owners to obtain licenses for the animals which are barred from being kept in residential areas.

Breeders have to pay a hefty fee for registration, while farms have to be a minimum of 10 acres in size.