Investigations: JSQM leaders’ murders remains shrouded in mystery

Party plans to go ahead with Freedom March in Karachi today.

SUKKUR/ HYDERABAD:

The brutal murders of Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz leaders, Maqsood Qureshi and Salman Wadhiyo, remain shrouded in mystery as police are conducting a multi-tier investigation into the incident.

Meanwhile, doctors at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, who conducted the post-mortem of the deceased, revealed that Maqsood was shot at least four times while Salman was shot twice.

According to party sources, both the leaders left Mehar for Dadu at around 8:45pm on Thursday. Early the next morning, their charred bodies were found from a burnt car near Bhiria Road. A large number of party workers and members of the civil society converged at the residence of Shaheed Bashir Qureshi, in Motanpur Mohalla, Ratodero to pay their respects to the bereaved family.

Maqsood started his political career from the platform of Jeay Sindh Students Federation in 1985. He became more actively involved in the party after the mysterious killing of his elder brother and party’s chairperson, Bashir Qureshi, two years ago. He leaves behind his widow, two sons and a daughter.

According to party activists, Maqsood was a polite and simple person — qualities that had made him quite popular among the party workers. He had gone to Mehar to resolve a dispute between the party’s local leaders and muster support for the Freedom March today in Karachi.

On the other hand, Sukkur DIGP Kareem Kharal told The Express Tribune that it was a very sensitive matter and he had directed the Naushero Feroze SSP to conduct a thorough inquiry into the incident. Speaking about the forensic report of the burnt car, he revealed that one body was found at the passenger seat while a second body was lying in the back seat. Blood stains were also found from the car’s flooring.

There were unconfirmed reports about the presence of a third person in their car when Maqsood and Salman left Mehar. Only two bodies were found in the car, leading to the suspicion that the third person could be the assailant.

Hyderabad

A partial strike was observed on Saturday in the districts of Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas divisions as JSQM supporters staged protests against the killing of their leader.

The districts of Benazirabad, Matiari, Dadu, Jamshoro and Tando Muhammad Khan remained completely shut, while in the other districts the strike was observed in few talukas.

The three universities in the Jamshoro district — Sindh University, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology and Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences - suspended the exams that were scheduled for Saturday.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 23^rd, 2014.