The Ministry of Interior on Thursday stopped implementation on a mercy petition filed by Shahrukh Jatoi against the death sentence awarded to him by an Anti Terrorism Court (ATC) on charges of killing Shahzeb Khan. Sources said Minister for Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan took strong action over the clemency appeal filed by Shahrukh Jatoi, with standing order that the application must not be processed without his permission.
"Neither the mercy appeal of the convict will be send to the president, nor the compromise statements of Shahzeb Khan's family," sources said. They said the person involved in cold-blooded murder of an innocent boy would be taken to task no matter how influential they were, the minister said. Sources said ATC had awarded death sentence to Jatoi, which would be implemented in letter and sprit, adding the convicts charged with terrorism by ATC were being hanged. "Since Jatoi has also been convicted by ATC hence he would be treated like other convicts," they said.
According to reports, a summary was sent to Governor Sindh on July 19 and the government sent it to the Presidency on August 6, 2013. The Chief Secretary had bypassed the Interior Ministry and sent it directly to the presidency, however, the presidency later moved the summary to the Interior Ministry. Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar rejected the summary and held onto it until the end of President Zardari's tenure. The summary also contained compromise statements of Shahzeb Khan's family. The ATC had awarded death sentences to Shahrukh Jatoi and Siraj Talpur, while two others were handed down life sentence.