Nationalist leader: Crime branch to investigate Bashir Qureshi’s death

Crime branch SSP to lead four man investigation team.

HYDERABAD:

The crime branch has now been authorised to investigate the death of Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (JSQM) leader Bashir Qureshi.

Bashir Qureshi passed away on April 7 in Sakrand. Doctors concluded that he had died because of food poisoning, but JSQM workers and Qureshi’s family suspected foul play.

While talking to The Express Tribune on Wednesday, deputy inspector general of the crime branch, Farhat Junejo, said that he has four men on the case and they will be led by a crime branch SSP.

Junajo’s department will request the Shaheed Benazirabad court to grant it more time to submit a charge sheet in the case. A request will be filed on October 18.

An FIR for Qureshi’s death was registered at the Sakrand police station in Shaheed Benazirabad on October 3, but only after JSQM activists protested for one outside the police station. Qureshi’s family and the party were not happy with the FIR registered by the Sakrand police, as it did not mention Interior Minister Rehman Malik, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) director-general and Sindh Rangers.

Bashir Qureshi’s younger brother, Maqsood Qureshi, went to a district and sessions court on October 15 and requested for these names to be added. The third additional district and session judge, Abdul Rehman Bhatti, has summoned the police officers on October 22 to explain why they did not register the FIR.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 18^th, 2012.