Shalimar police had booked Raja Arshad Mehmood, Noman Khokhar and eight others in the murder case of Barrister Fahad, the nephew of former Senate Chairman Mohammedmian Soomro. PHOTO: FILE
LANDI KOTAL/ISLAMABAD: The prime suspect in the Barrister Fahad Malik murder case was arrested at Torkham border while attempting to flee to Afghanistan on forged travelling documents.
Raja Arshad Mehmood had been hiding in Khyber Agency for more than a week after fleeing Islamabad on August 15, a senior official in Khyber Agency told The Express Tribune requesting not to be named. Last night, when he submitted his passport and other travelling documents to a Federal Investigation Agency official, he was taken into custody and later had handed over to the political administration in Jamrud, he said.
One of two prime suspects arrested after bail dismissed
“We had intelligence information that the suspect may try to flee the country. We also confirmed it from the interior ministry and arrested the suspect on the basis of the tip-off,” he added.
An official in the interior ministry on Sunday said that the suspect was later shifted to a lockup in Landi Kotal and he will soon be shifted to Islamabad, confirming Mehmood’s arrest.
“The suspect was arrested at a checkpost at Torkham border by FIA’s ASI Shafiq Azam,” he added.
The interior minister also announced Rs100,000 cash prize for the official who arrested the suspect, he added.
Another source in the ministry told The Express Tribune that the suspect had obtained his visa from Afghan Consulate-General in Quetta before moving to Khyber Agency.
The ministry had also put Mehmood’s name on the exit control list (ECL), apprehending that he may flee the country as he was on protective bail until August 30.
Fahad Malik murder case: One of suspects granted bail
The suspect had obtained protective bail from Lahore High Court Multan bench.
Meanwhile, the Islamabad Police said they were unaware of the arrest of Mehmood.
IO Inspector Muhammad Yusuf said they also heard about the arrest through media. He said no agency had communicated to the police about Mehmood’s arrest so far.
A few days ago, the British government had also shown dissatisfaction over the investigation into the case. Fahad was a British citizen.
Reportedly in a letter to the Islamabad Police Inspector General (IGP), the British High Commissioner had expressed concerns stating that “the British government is always worried when any of its citizens is killed or harmed in any country”.
The British High Commissioner had also asked the IGP to provide the details of the stage of the investigations.
The letter had evoked a strong reaction from the interior minister who said that “they can’t ask Islamabad Police directly and the police are not answerable to a foreign high commission”.
The minister, however, had clarified justice would be done. According to him, names of the accused had been put on the ECL and their passports had been cancelled.
Shalimar police had booked Raja Arshad Mehmood, Noman Khokhar and eight others in the murder case of Barrister Fahad, the nephew of former Senate Chairman Mohammedmian Soomro.
He was gunned down in F-10/3 on August 15. Fahad’s uncle Malik Tariq Ayub was also injured in the attack.
According to the police, Fahad died of bullet wounds. He was hit by four bullets in an exchange of fire between two rival groups — one led by Raja Asad and the other Hussain Malik.
Police said the exchange of fire was rooted in a personal dispute.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 29th, 2016.
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