Delayed investigations: Police lodge FIR for murder of SUP leader

Party had claimed law enforcers refused to let them name influential man in FIR

HYDERABAD: The police have finally registered an FIR in the murder case of Sindh United Party leader Dr Anwar Laghari, who was shot dead on the eve of the second phase of the local government elections.

Bhitai Nagar police registered the FIR under sections 302, 324, 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code and sections 6/7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act against two unknown assailants on the complaint of Kareem Laghari, a relative of Dr Anwar.

The party had claimed earlier that the police were not registering the murder case despite the passage of four days since the killing of Dr Anwar at an election camp. SUP vice-president Roshan Buriro said that they wanted to nominate provincial minister Jam Khan Shoro's brother, Kashif Shoro, and other local workers of the Pakistan Peoples Party in the FIR but the Bhitai Nagar police refused to lodge the case.

Buriro claimed that the police say they will register the FIR only if 'unknown' persons are nominated by the complainant.

Two persons including a candidate of ward 10 of Qasimabad Municipal Committee (QMC), Abdul Samee Chandio, were injured with gunshots in the attack November on 18. Kashif is the front-runner for the seat of chairperson of the 27-ward QMC.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 24^th, 2015.