Journalist tortured, killed in Jacobabad

Suspects claim they killed Zulfiqar Mandrani for ‘honour’ while father blames drug peddlers

HYDERABAD: A journalist was shot dead in Dodapur, a rural town in Garhi Khairo taluka in Jacobabad district, on Tuesday.

Zulfiqar Mandrani was found in a critically injured condition in a room of a house locked from the outside. He succumbed to his injuries while being transported to a hospital in Larkana district.

Dodapur SHO Ahmed Nawaz Tunio stated that two suspects, Riaz Dayo and Nazeer Dayo, had been arrested, while the pistol used in the crime was also found. “The suspects have confessed to the crime, claiming that they killed Zulfiqar for honour,” said the SHO.

However, Raheem Jam Mandrani, the deceased’s father, blamed the local drug peddlers for Zulfiqar’s murder.

"My son had been receiving death threats from the suspects for several days before his murder," claimed Raheem. "He was returning home when he was kidnapped and taken to the place [where he was shot]."

The slain journalist’s father stated that Zulfiqar had called them, claiming that he was being tortured in a room by Imam Ali Shah, Ghulam Ali Dayo and Akbar Dayo. "When we reached the place, we saw Shah standing outside with the police,” he added.

Raheem claimed the suspects were misleading the investigators by claiming that they had killed his son for honour.

Dr Yousuf Bhutto, who conducted the autopsy, told the local media that Zulfiqar had sustained two gunshots to his head, while there were torture marks on his back.

The deceased was laid to rest in a graveyard in Raheem Jan Mandrani village. He is survived by his wife, six sons and two daughters.