Driver booked for Mufti Shakoor's death

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad police have arrested the driver of the vehicle involved in a road accident in the federal capital in which religious affairs minister Mufti Abdul Shakoor died, officials said on Sunday.

Earlier, the Secretariat police station registered the first information report (FIR) of the accident against Rao Gul Khan on the complaint of Haji Qudratullah, a leader of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F).

It said that Khan was driving his Hilux Revo at a very high speed.

Later, the police presented the accused, who had been taken into custody after the accident on Saturday night, before a duty magistrate on Sunday. The magistrate remanded him in police’s custody for two days.

The arrest came as late Mufti Shakoor was laid to rest at Tajbikhel area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lakki Marwat district. His funeral prayers were attended by several politicians, lawmakers, and locals of the area.

The complaint filed by Qudratullah with the police said that Mufti Shakoor had come to his house before Iftar on Saturday and then left for the Parliament Lodges at 8:22. He added that at 10 O'clock, his servant was informed about the accident.

According to the complaint, Mufti Shakoor was driving his official vehicle, adding that the driver of Revo hit his car, while driving carelessly and at extremely high speed. Due to which Mufti Shakoor died on the spot, it added.

“The incident is of a very sensitive nature and action should be taken keeping all aspects in mind,” the complainant said. Police sources said the accused told the police during investigation that at the time of accident, he was driving at 100 kilometres per hour.

Read Minister’s remarks prompt walkout in Senate

According to Nadeem Tahir, the station house officer (SHO) of the Secretariat police station, the investigation had got under way, adding: “The matter will be investigated thoroughly."

According to the police, Mufti Abdul Shakoor, 55, was going to the Secretariat Chowk via Constitution Avenue, when his car was hit by a Hilux vehicle with five passengers on board.

The minister was immediately shifted to Polyclinic Hospital in a critical condition, but he could not be resuscitated. After the accident, police said, all the five occupants of the other vehicle were taken into custody and shifted to a nearby police station.

Sources in the crime scene investigation team said that the minister was on the main road, when his Corolla Grande car was hit by a speeding Revo vehicle. They said the driver of Revo was solely responsible for the accident.

Hailing from Lakki Marwat, Mufti Shakoor was a vocal JUI-F leader. He was known for fiery speeches against his political rivals, especially the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). He had won the National Assembly seat of NA-51 in the 2018 elections.