Police conduct raid in katcha area to arrest journalist’s killers

Police conducted raid in katcha area of Shah Belo for arrest of the suspects involved in murder of Journalist Jan Muhammad Mahar.

Sukkur Police party headed by SSP Irfan Sammu raided house of main accused Sheral Mahar in Shah Belo. After exchange of fire with police, accused fled to thick riverine forest, SSP Sukkur Irfan Sammu said.

The policemen set the homes and bunkers of the accused on fire and chasing behind culprits. "It is first time the police reached to the homes of the accused after drop in water level in the river", SSP Sammu said.

Police had earlier conducted raids over houses of the accused in katcha area in which a son of the main accused and an accomplice were injured in exchange of fire. Police reached to the houses of culprits after over three months of the murder.

Police department has so far arrested nine persons over facilitation and providing shelter to killers of Jan Muhammad Mahar. Mahar, a senior journalist and Sukkur bureau chief of a local television network had been murdered by assailants on August 13.

The attackers on a motorcycle opened fire at Mahar inside his vehicle after he left his office in Sukkur at 9:00 am on August 13. Earlier, SSP Sukkur told the media that three suspects wanted in the murder case were arrested in an operation in the katcha area. The arrested persons were identified as Sher Muhammad Shaikh, Muhammad Ramzan Shaikh and Bashir Memon. The police officer said that the suspects were handed over to the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD).

Published in The Express Tribune, December 27^th, 2023.