Another JIT formed in Perween Rahman’s murder case

Five years have passed since the Orangi Pilot Project’s director was killed

KARACHI: After five years of Perween Rahman’s death, the Sindh government formed on Saturday another Joint Interrogation Team (JIT) to investigate her murder. Rahman, the director of the Orangi Pilot Project, was killed by terrorists in 2013.

Officials in police department said that the JIT, formed by the home department on the recommendation of Inspector-General of Police Allah Dino Khowaja, will start interrogating dismissed police officers, such sub-inspector Ashfaque Hussain Baloch and then SHO of the Manghopir police station and former inspector Raja Ultaf Hussain. “It will be properly investigated whether these police officers had malafidely manipulated the case,” said the police officials.

The JIT comprises officials of the police, intelligence agencies, Counter-Terrorism Department, Rangers and Federal Investigation Agency will investigate the matter within 15 days and submit a report.



Rahman, who had started the campaign against encroachment on amenity plots and land grabbing in the city, was shot dead in Orangi Town. In May 2016, the police had claimed that they had arrested the prime suspect, Rahim Sawati, a local leader of the Awami National Party (ANP) involved in criminal activities from Manghopir area, and recovered 9mm pistol and hand grenade from his possession.

Before that, the police claimed to have killed Qari Bilal of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan in March 2013, announcing that he killed Rahman. Then West DIG Javed Alam Odho had announced this at a press conference, causing rights activists to express their concern over the impartiality of the investigation.

“This is a very complicated and controversial case, so the IG has taken personal interest to resolve the mystery,” explained a senior police official requesting anonymity.