Journalist found dead in Sanghar

A Karachi based journalist was found shot dead in his car parked outside an eatery on Hyderabad road in Sanghar district late on Saturday night. SSP Sanghar Abid Baloch told the press that Khawar Hussain Bajwa's body was found on his car's driving seat. He was associated with Dawn News channel.

The police later also found a pistol, which the deceased was holding in his right hand, and a bullet casing from the car. According to the SSP, the bullet entered through his right side temple and exited from the left. Baloch said it will be early to conclude the cause of his death, adding that a broader investigation has been started before drawing any conclusion.

The staff of the hotel, Mirchi 360 Sanghar, informed the police that Bajwa twice entered their premises to use washroom and then returned to his car. A hotel's guard told the police that after noticing that the deceased had not placed any order and yet the car was still parked outside their hotel, he approached the vehicle and saw blood oozing from his head.

He later called the manager and other staff who contacted the local police. A CCTV camera installed at the hotel shows the reporter entering and leaving. However, there was no camera in the direction of his vehicle which could have helped in the investigation.

Bajwa was alone in his car and he entered and left the hotel alone as well. DIG Nawabshah Faisal Bashir Memon has confirmed that the pistol found from his vehicle was licensed in the name of the deceased. His Sanghar based brother in law Zubair Ali in his version recorded with the police stated that they were clueless about his visit to their city on Saturday even though he always used to inform them before coming to Sanghar.

His postmortem was conducted at Civil Hospital Sanghar.

Ali informed that Bajwa's US based brother and parents are likely to arrive in Pakistan on August 18 after which his body will be taken from the hospital for burial in Sanghar. The brother in law said he came to know about his death through a friend who gave him a call and told about the incident. The police and medico legal officials are yet to share the initial findings of the postmortem report.

Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah took notice of the incident and sought a detailed report from the Inspector General of Police.

Governor Tessori conveyed heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved family, calling the journalist's death a "great tragedy for journalism and society." Provincial ministers, members of the journalist community, friends, and relatives have also expressed shock and grief over the incident. They prayed for the departed soul and for strength to the family in bearing this irreparable loss.