Extrajudicial killing?: Missing leader of banned outfit found dead

HYDERABAD: The bullet-riddled body of a student of Sindh University, who was also a leader of banned outfit Jeay Sindh Muttahida Mahaz (JSMM), was found in Larkana on Wednesday.

Asif Panhwar, 23, was allegedly whisked away by police and plain-clothed men from Hyderabad on August 15. The separatist party has announced a 10-day mourning period. Mourning will specifically be observed at universities in the Jamshoro district, said JSMM leader Shiraz Peerzado.

Asif, who hailed from the Badin district, remained missing for over 100 days. His brother, Sajid Panhwar, had filed a petition in the Sindh High Court for his recovery. Asif's other brother, Rashid Panhwar, received the body from the Chandka Medical College Hospital, Larkana. According to him, the body bore marks of torture. He was shot in the head and mouth.

Asif was allegedly detained during a police raid at the residence of Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz - Arisar group's leader Ameer Panhwar in Qasimabad. Ameer claimed that dozens of policemen and plain-clothed persons raided his apartment and took away Asif.

Enraged supporters of JSMM staged a demonstration at Sindh University. They also pelted stones on the private guards deployed outside the university hostel and the policemen.

Gone missing

Meanwhile, another third-year student of Mehran University of Engineering and Technology went missing from Sindh University Housing Society, Jamshoro, on Wednesday.

Kamlesh Kumar was standing at a photocopy shop when two police mobile vans and a car approached them, said Suneel Kumar.

Suneel claimed that his brother was not affiliated with any political group. The family searched for Kamlesh at the police stations in Jamshoro and Hyderabad but to no avail.

Earlier, the body of a man from Jamshoro was recovered from the Jamshoro Super Highway on Tuesday. Similarly, another body of a resident of Latifabad, Hyderabad, was found on the same highway.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 28^th, 2014.