Hotel owner’s killing: Police efforts to nab suspects unsuccessful

Number of murders in Islamabad this year soars to 87

ISLAMABAD: Despite the passage of 24 hours, Islamabad Police have been unable to track down any of the four men suspected of killing a hotel owner in Sitara Market.

Chaudry Nisarul Haq, who owned the Star Hotel located in Sector G-7 Markaz, was shot dead inside the hotel on Friday afternoon.

Some of Haq’s relatives, who were also eyewitnesses to the incident, told police that one of the suspects, Shakil Abbasi, had been contracted to run the hotel. He was due to vacate the hotel on Friday.

The victim’s nephew, Ubaidul Haq, told the police that when the landlord went to the hotel on Friday evening to ensure the building was vacated, he got into a heated argument with Abbasi.

As they reportedly argued about the eviction and the security deposit, Abbasi and his companions –  Muneer Abbasi, Shabbir Abbasi, and Wajid Hussain – allegedly shot Haq dead at the hotel’s reception desk and fled.

Police said Hussain hailed from Murree while the three others were from Abbottabad.

Soon after the incident, the police had set up a special team to probe the murder and had launched a manhunt for the suspects.

However, all efforts to trace them had been unfruitful.

On Saturday, the police said they had conducted several raids to locate the suspects. Moreover, officials said that the newly-established homicide investigation unit had taken over investigation.

Meanwhile, Haq was laid to rest in his hometown of Bewal village near Gujjar Khan on Saturday.

A cold-blooded murder in a business hub of the capital and the subsequent easy escape for the suspects spread panic and fear among traders of the market.

Shortly after the incident, traders of Sitara Market had taken to the streets to protest the killing.

“A businessman was shot multiple times in a busy market in broad daylight and the killers managed to flee,” complained Muhammad Saleem, a resident of Sector G-6.

“Despite their tall claims of reducing crime in the capital, police have failed to arrest the suspects,” he added.

It is pertinent to note here that at least 87 cases of murder have been reported to the Islamabad Police this year. Police say that investigations in 23 cases have been completed and charge sheets have been submitted to various courts.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 11^th, 2016.