Daily Times

Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC) Chairman Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi has appealed to the Supreme Court of Pakistan to review its decision of acquitting Shahrukh Jatoi from the murder case. He held this particular case, which was initiated when 20-year-old Shahzeb Khan was gunned down a decade ago in Karachi, pertained to ‘corruption on earth’ and ‘might is right’. Ashrafi, who is also the Prime Minister’s Special Representative for Interfaith Harmony and Middle East, in an appeal on his Twitter handle, said the decision in this particular case was generating a negative impression in the society that the law could not take its course against any powerful or financially sound person which to him was not a good omen for the country and the nation anyway. He elaborated that Shahrukh Jatoi case apart from Diyat (financial compensation) was the case of Fasad-Fil-Arz (corruption on earth) which is a heinous crime in the light of the Holy Quran. He appealed the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Umar Ata Bandial to review the decision of this particular case and personally hear it. It is pertinent to mention here that the law includes the principle of Fasad-Fil-Arz (corruption on earth), which allows an offender to be punished (with a sentence of up to 14 years of imprisonment) even if he is forgiven by the victim’s family under Qisas and Diyat.