In a significant verdict, a sessions court in Karachi sentenced Javed Jokhio, a street criminal, to 23 years in prison on Wednesday for multiple offences, including robbery, possession of illegal arms, and engaging in a shootout with police. The ruling was delivered by Additional District and Sessions Judge (East) Shahid Ali Memon, who found Jokhio guilty on four counts.
Jokhio was sentenced to seven years each under Sections 397 (robbery) and 324 (attempt to murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), two years under Section 353 (assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging his duty), and an additional seven years for illegal possession of a weapon under the Sindh Arms Act 2013. The court also imposed a fine of Rs20,000, with the stipulation that failure to pay would result in additional imprisonment. However, the court ordered that the sentences would run concurrently, with the highest sentence being seven years.
In his judgment, Judge Memon highlighted the ongoing threat posed by street criminals in Karachi, emphasising that such offenders must be punished strictly to deter others from committing similar crimes. “The current situation of Karachi city, where many have lost their lives at the hands of such robbers, warrants that such offenders do not deserve any leniency,” the judge observed.
The case stemmed from a robbery incident in September 2021, when the complainant was accosted at gunpoint by two individuals on a motorbike near Alladin Park in Gulshan-i-Iqbal. The robbers snatched his mobile phone and other valuables, but the situation escalated when a police patrol arrived at the scene. The suspects opened fire on the police, leading to a shootout in which one of the robbers, Umair Ali, escaped, while Jokhio was apprehended. A 30-bore pistol and the stolen mobile phone were recovered from him.
During the trial, the prosecution presented three witnesses to support its case, which led to Jokhio’s conviction. State prosecutor Syed Khursheed Abbas Bukhari argued that the evidence presented left no doubt about the accused’s guilt and called for a strong sentence. The defense, however, argued that the arrest and recovery of the weapon were staged by the police, but the court dismissed these claims due to the lack of supporting evidence from the defense.
Following the verdict, the court ordered that Jokhio be taken into custody immediately, as he had been out on bail during the trial. The case was registered at the Aziz Bhatti police station under relevant sections of the PPC and the Sindh Arms Act.