Bureau report
Lahore
Mian Nazir Ahmed Joyia Advocate, former President District Bar Association Bahawalnagar, was brutally murdered in his own house three days ago. Looking at the initial condition of the crime scene, one could get the impression that the matter was not simple but could be internal in nature. Important evidence was missing from the scene, especially the shell casings were not found, shoe marks were made on the blood, which apparently shows that an attempt was made to erase evidence, divert the investigation and mislead the police after the incident. Even the police were informed late, which deepened the suspicions.
Syed Shakir Ali Bukhari Advocate, while giving details of the incident, said on receiving the information, the police and Rescue 1122 reached the spot while the Crime Scene Unit was also called from Sahiwal. Later, late last night, an FIR was registered against unknown accused under sections 302/34 of the Pakistan Penal Code at the City B Division Bahawalnagar police station on the complaint of the widow of the deceased. The 17/18-year-old son of the deceased, Mian Muhammad, and the plaintiff’s brother Safdar were included as witnesses in the FIR.
Considering the sensitivity of the case, the District Police Officer Bahawalnagar immediately formed a JIT comprising senior officers. In the initial investigation, police took the 17/18-year-old son of the deceased into custody and questioned him, who first gave a statement that the murder was committed by his mother (the plaintiff) and his maternal uncle Safdar. After this revelation, the police also included the plaintiff and her brother in the investigation. Later, the son changed his statement and confessed that the murder was committed by him and his maternal uncle Safdar. Thus, the plaintiff, her son and her brother have all come under the ambit of investigation in this case and the case is moving forward in this context.
It should also be noted that Mian Nazir Ahmed Akoka Advocate was a big landowner and influential personality, who had property, housing colonies, petrol pumps and commercial assets worth billions of rupees.
The most regrettable aspect is that according to reports, the close friend of the deceased, Pir Ahmed Farid Chishti, who also represents the District Bar Association Bahawalnagar, is playing an unusual role in this case and is allegedly busy trying to save the widow. It is being said that an attempt is being made to deal with huge sums of money and divert the investigation, to get the widow out of the case, so that later the son and brother can be pardoned in court. If all this is true, then this is not only a serious violation of the law but also of the principles of justice.
I strongly appeal to the District Police Officer Bahawalnagar to be fully aware of any kind of bribery in his name or the name of his team and take strict action against such elements. The investigation should be transparent, impartial and on merit, and only the real accused should be charged in court, regardless of the outcome in court.
Similarly, the respected members of the District Bar Association Bahawalnagar are also requested not to forget this brutal murder of Mian Nazir Akoka Advocate and stand up to the demands of justice. The elements who are supporting the killers or trying to influence the investigation should be stopped because silence sometimes becomes an accomplice to injustice.
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