The Sindh High Court on Monday heard a petition seeking the disqualification of Pakistan People’s Party MPA Jam Awais in Nazim Johkio’s murder case on the account that payment of diyat or blood money constituted a guilty plea and hence conviction.

The court directed Jam Awais’s lawyer to present his arguments in light of the Supreme Court’s judgements.

PPP’s Jam Awais was the main suspect in the murder of Nazim Jokhio, who was brutally tortured and killed allegedly at PPP MPA Jam Awais’ farmhouse in Malir on November 3, 2021.

Jokhio had filmed and shared a clip to social media showing the MPA’s foreign guests hunting houbara bustard, an endangered bird.

Jokhio’s brother Afzal Jokhio had nominated PPP MPA Awais, his elder brother MNA Jam Abdul Karim and their servants for murdering Nazim.

However, he withdrew the case after a settlement was reached between the MPA and the family of the Jokhio.

The petitioner’s lawyer, Ali Tahir said that Jam Awais has paid Nazim Jokhio’s heirs diyat (blood money). “After paying the diyat amount, Jam Awais is no longer righteous and trustworthy,” he said.

Sindh High Court Chief Justice Ahmed Ali Shaikh asked the petitioner whether he had read the judgment of the Supreme Court.

Barrister Ali Tahir replied that the trial court’s judgment states that Jam Awais paid diyat, which is a confession of guilt.

According to Section 53 of the Pakistan Penal Code, diyat is one of the 10 punishments prescribed in the law.

The court said that it wanted to hear the petitioner’s side of argument but such argument should be advanced in the light of Supreme Court judgments.

The court directed the petitioner to give detailed arguments and adjourned the hearing for a week.

In December 2022, an additional district and sessions court indicted Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) MPA Jam Awais and eight other suspects in the Nazim Jokhio murder case.