Murder suspect shot dead outside court

MQM-P activist Rehman Bholu had come for case hearing; police arrest assailant

HYDERABAD:

A Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan activist under trial for murder was shot dead on road outside District and Sessions Court of Tando Allahyar district on Friday. Police, however, shot and injured the assailant and arrested him.

Tando Allahyar SSP Rukhsar Ahmed Khuhawar told the media that Khalilur Rehman Khanzada Bholu was attacked when he was going to attend a court hearing of a murder case in which he was nominated.

SSP Khuhawar added that police instantly reacted to the attack and rounded up the attacker Asad Jiskani, who sustained two gunshots to his leg. Asad is the brother of Altaf Jiskani, who was allegedly killed by Bholu and his accomplices in 2020. The police recovered a Kalashnikov and a pistol from him.

SSP said that Bholu, Aslam Rind, Zameer Rind, Mashooq Rind and two unknown assailants were charged for the murder of Sindh Taraqi Pasand Party local leader Altaf Jiskani who was killed in Tando Allahyar on November 18, 2020.

The officer said that all of the accused were arrested within days but they secured bails from the court. On Friday, the Rinds and Bholu were supposed to appear in the court for the hearing of same murder case.

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The arrested suspect Jiskani is a brother of slain Altaf Jiskani. He was shifted to Liaquat University Hospital for the surgery.

A number of workers of MQM-P besides their local leaders as well as the peolpe of Khanzada community gathered at the civil hospital where Bholu's dead body was brought for the postmortem. Some workers of MQM-P also allegedly forced the local markets to shut.

"The way Khanzada was killed when he was going to the court has really saddened the law-abiding people," commented MQM-P Hyderabad MPA Rashid Khilji while talking to the media in Tando Allahyar. Khilji saw some political motivation behind the incident.

He told that Bholu was receiving threats and that he was also attacked, adding that the police and the court were also informed about the situation but to no avail. He deplored that despite the threats he was not provided security.

According to the MPA, DIG Hyderabad Peer Muhammad Shah has assured them that the killer would be brought to the book and that the police would also unearth the conspiracy, if there was any, behind the killing.

Khilhi expressed distrust on Tando Allahyar's SSP, saying that they have conveyed their apprehensions to the police high-ups. He apprised that SSP Matiari district is being given investigation of the killing.

The MPA appealed to the supporters of MQM-P to remain patient and hope for justice.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, January 22^nd, 2022.