By our correspondent
KARACHI: The family of former federal minister and Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) leader Ghulam Murtaza Jatoi has raised serious concerns over his continued detention in Nara Jail, Hyderabad, alleging that they are being denied access to him in defiance of a court order. His wife, Naveen Jatoi, while addressing the media, accused the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)-led Sindh government of orchestrating a campaign of political victimization against opponents, citing his implication in an “absurd” case of motorbike snatching as evidence of the alleged vendetta.
Jatoi was arrested on February 18 while returning from a court hearing in Noushehro Feroze district in connection with a murder case filed at the Moro police station last year. He and his son, Bilawal Jatoi, have also been charged with conspiring to assassinate PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on election day, February 8, 2024. In addition, he has been booked in two other cases registered at Dokri and Badah police stations in Larkana under various sections of the Pakistan Penal Code, including attempted murder and obstruction of law enforcement.
On Thursday, the Sindh High Court’s Larkana Circuit issued a restraining order preventing the Sindh police from arresting Jatoi in any new cases beyond the three in which he is already in custody. The ruling, delivered by Justices Muhammad Saleem Jessar and Adnan-ul-Karim Memon, was in response to a petition filed by his wife. The court further directed the Sindh police to provide a complete record of all cases registered or pending against the GDA leader, amid suspicions that new cases are being fabricated to prolong his detention.
Meanwhile, the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Noushehro Feroze granted Jatoi bail in the murder case, rejecting arguments from the prosecution that his alleged involvement fell under the prohibitory clause of the law. ATC Judge Hafiz Misbahuddin Phulpoto ruled that courts cannot deny bail solely on the basis of the offence’s classification but must assess the available evidence to determine whether the case warrants further inquiry.
The court approved Jatoi’s bail against two solvent sureties of Rs100,000 each, though it issued a cautionary note advising the accused to “remain careful” in the future. Jatoi’s legal team remains hopeful that he will secure bail in the remaining cases from the Larkana court. However, the broader implications of his arrest suggest deepening political hostilities in Sindh, where opposition figures claim they are being systematically targeted through legal means. The case has sparked fresh debate over the use of law enforcement agencies as political tools and the fragile state of political opposition under the current provincial administration.
