A Karachi court was told on Friday that the family of the Suzuki pickup driver who was killed in a collision with a traffic police officer’s vehicle has forgiven the accused in the name of Allah after an out-of-court settlement.
Shahid Aziz Hungoro was arrested and booked on charges of murder and manslaughter after his speeding car collided with a Suzuki pickup in the Clifton area on the night of December 31. As a result of which 55 people were killed. Year-old driver Ayub Sithar.
Investigating Officer Nadeem Babar produced the accused before Judicial Magistrate (South) Muzmal Ali Soomro after his physical remand was over. The defense counsel informed the Magistrate that the parties had entered into a compromise and requested him to strike down Section 322 (punishment for murder), which is a non-bailable offence.
However, the magistrate rejected the plea and remanded the accused to judicial remand and directed the IO to submit the interim charge sheet within the stipulated time. The IO said he has yet to receive the alcohol test report of the suspect, adding that if the report comes out positive, a separate case will be registered against him by the state.
Soon after the Magistrate remanded the accused to judicial custody, the accused, through his counsel, filed an application before the Additional Sessions Judge (South) seeking post-arrest bail on the basis of compromise. However, the court adjourned the hearing of the case while issuing a notice to the prosecutor and the complainant on the bail application.
Advocate Kamran Ali, the complainant’s lawyer, told The News that the deceased’s legal heirs include his widow and three sons. He explained that while the complainant had submitted an affidavit regarding the settlement, it would have no legal significance unless all the legal heirs also gave similar affidavits. This, he noted, was not possible because the widow was performing Idah, and one of the deceased’s children was mentally challenged.
He added that a medical board would need to be constituted to confirm his inability to provide consent, which means The suspect is unlikely to be released from prison anytime soon. Complainant Arbab Ali said in an affidavit that he had forgiven the accused “in the name of Allah”.
He said that now I have no objection if this honorable court grants him bail. An FIR was registered at the Clifton police station under sections 320 (punishment for rash or negligent driving) and 427 (malicious loss of fifty rupees) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). The IO later added Section 322 (murder) of the PPC.