Daily Times

Remember when Shahrukh Jatoi flashing victory signs after he had been recovered from his cushy hideout in Dubai, had shaken the country to its core. That someone was able to walk away from the gallows after being indicted in the cold-blooded murder of a young son of a small-time police officer had rubber-stamped the measly worth of lives in Pakistan. Whatever farce hopes had appeared in the form of a Suo Motu notice in 2018 conveniently slipped out of the backdoor as news of him hiding out in a private hospital started making rounds on social media. Whether the rules had been violated is not a hard nut to crack. Surely, Mr Jatoi and the long, long list of his associates probably know how to milk the holy cow way better than all of us. Because otherwise being able to pull the wool over the eyes of Sindh Police, not once but twice sounds straight out of a B-grade Bollywood script. Previously, his luxurious indulgences while spending his days behind bars had prompted a surprise visit from the then chief justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar. Had he not been a scion of one of the wealthiest families of Pakistan, could the victim party be “convinced” to pardon him under the Qisas and Diyat Laws? The law dances to the tune of the mighty, indeed!

Sitting comfortably on the other side of the table is the PPP whose ruling the roost in Karachi. It has continued treading on the same path of indifference that its former leadership was known for. Back then, a very close aide to Asif Zardari had muddied the waters by facilitating the grand escape. More dismal was the Sindh Police, preferring to be on the payroll of an influential feudal instead of showing a courageous front for one of their own (if not for the general public). For now, Mr Jatoi has been moved back to prison but given his ping-pong charade from a death sentence to life imprisonmen-punctuated by in-and-out staycations- who knows what “serious” ailment awaits him next? *