Member of the Sindh assembly Jam Owais has been arrested by the Sindh police for the alleged murder of Nazim Jokhio, an amateur film maker for highlighting the hunting of the houbara bustards by foreign guests in Thatta, Pakistan.
Geo News reports that Jokhio had posted a series of videos on social media platforms showing foreign guests of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) law-maker Owais hunting the bird that has been listed as vulnerable in Asia.
Video where Jokhio confronts the foreign guests who are allegedly on a hunt
Nazim Jokhio was brutally tortured and murdered by his local MPA for stopping his arab guests from hunting and posting this vid online.This is pakistan where a Pakistani national gets murdered by his own MPA for raising his voice for endangered wildlife on his own patch. pic.twitter.com/XdYeX8vkIC
— save the wild (@wildpakistan) November 4, 2021
Jokhio's family members alleged that he was called home by the powerful member of the provincial assembly (MPA) after the posting of the videos. They alleged before the police that the citizen journalist was beaten and tortured to death for posting the hunting expedition by the MPA's foreign guests, presumably Arabs.
Another video by Jokhio where he says that he has been threatened by a powerful politician for making a video of a hunting party.
Here is Nazim Jokhio recording a video message before his death in which he specifically talks about life threats to him by local feudal for making video of an Arab prince hunting in the area. pic.twitter.com/j1edreLupV
— M. Jibran Nasir 🇵🇸 (@MJibranNasir) November 3, 2021
Pakistani newspaper The News reported that the family members of the slain man blocked highways in protest after Johkio's body was found in the neighbourhood. They laid the body on a national highway connecting the region to Karachi, the capital of Sindh province.
The family also alleged that the local police tried to shield the powerful politician.
They alleged that a few days before the murder, Jokhio had stopped a car with a foreign registration number and questioned the occupants about their activities. He recorded that conversation. He posted more videos about the hunting of the houbara bustards.
Video showing the hunting of the houbara bird
International non-profit organisation, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) which took up the issue, has asked for an independent investigation into Jokhiyo's murder. RFS said that Jokhio, an amateur video reporter based near Karachi, used to post "videos about illegal hunting trips for Arab dignitaries from the Gulf".
The series of videos posted by Jokhio went viral on the Pakistani social media keeping the controversy over the killing of the endangered bird and the murder issue alive.
Red salute to Nazim Jokhio a brave son of soil. #JusticeForNazimJokhio pic.twitter.com/2pGhBVUmhK
— Sindh Dost (@SindhDost) November 4, 2021
