Shahzeb Khan’s killers are in custody, according to the latest reports. Khan, who was shot in Karachi, Pakistan in late December, inspired a movement across the country. A Facebook page dedicated to getting justice for his murder has accrued more than 116 thousand likes.
According to reports the second of two men accused of the murder, Shahrukh Jatoi, was arrested in the United Arab Emirates in the city of Dubai. Sources close to the matter said the man was arrested during a raid in the Bur Dubai district of Dubai. Pakistani officials have yet to confirm the truth of these reports.
Officials in Dubai have, in fact, denied that any such arrest took place. According to a spokesperson for the police in the city. The police categorically denied the rumors that the suspect had been arrested there, and questioned the source of the reports, which are widespread in the Pakistani media.
According to the spokesperson, “We are investigating this claim, and from where they got this news.” The spokesperson said that Interpol had not directed police there to enforce any arrest on Shahrukh Jatoi. He said, ” If that man is wanted by the Pakistani police, and he entered Dubai, we need to receive note of the arrest warrant from Interpol that this person is wanted by his own country for murder, then he will be arrested.”
The other suspect, Siraj Talpur, is already in the custody of the police, having been arrested in connection with the murder last week. The young man, along with his brother and an employee of the family, is being remanded in custody for ten day, after a hearing in a Pakistani court.
The importance of this case lies in the seeming unfairness seen in the Pakistani justice system. The murder was seen as a symptom of the feudal exceptionalism noted throughout Pakistan. Ordinary people believe that members of powerful families are able to get away with anything, even murder.
It appeared in the days after the murder of Shahzeb Khan that there would not be an exception in his case. Despite the fact that the victim’s father is a police superintendent, the original case was filed fraudulently. The men accused of the murder are both members of families with powerful feudal authority.
The Facebook movement, which was sparked by this case, came in response to a belief that if something were not done the case could very well disappear. The campaign, which included several protests, attracted the attention of politicians and the Supreme Court, which subsequently ordered the arrest of the two men.
Whether or not Shahrukh Jatoi was arrested is not clear. There has been no official declaration that he is in custody. If it emerges that he has not yet been detained, it is certain that the campaign to ensure justice for Shahzeb Khan will continue.
There are official procedures for arresting a suspect who is residing in a different country. Even if today’s news turns out to be an exaggeration, Jatoi may be arrested in the coming days and weeks, following those procedures.
Justice for Shahzeb Khan is rousing a popular movement in Pakistan. It is something politicians and law enforcement officials cannot afford to ignore any longer. It is hoped that the arrest of Shahrukh Jatoi, if it has not already been completed, will come soon.
