A division bench headed by Justice Maqbool Baqar, disposed of the petition filed by the parents of Shahzeb Khan against the replacement of a public prosecutor in their son’s murder case with directions that no further transfer of public prosecutor in the case shall be affected.
Ambreen Khan and Aurangzeb Khan, the parents of the 20-years-old victim, challenged the replacement of the special public prosecutor (SPP) in the Shahzeb murder case by the provincial law department. The young man was shot dead over a minor dispute near his apartment in the Defence Housing Authority on Dec 25, 2012.
Shahrukh Jatoi, Nawab Siraj Ali Talpur, his younger brother Nawab Sajjad Ali Talpur and their house servant Ghulam Murtaza Lashari were booked and arrested in the case. The victim’s parents, represented by Advocate Faisal Siddiqui, submitted in their petition that the accused persons had been indicted by the ATC that had also recorded the statements of the prosecution witnesses since March 8.
They stated that the court on March 15 was informed that the provincial law department had issued a notification replacing prosecutor Shahid Mehmood Arain by Advocate Muzaffar Solangi. They pleaded the court to declare the impugned notification for replacement of the special public prosecutor illegal and reappoint him in the case.
Shahadat Awan, prosecutor general of Sindh submitted that current prosecutor conducting case was equally competent, independent and honest. However he said that he would have no objection if the prosecutor is replaced. The court directed provincial law secretary to appoint a new public prosecutor in Khan murder case.