PESHAWAR, June 19: Police on Tuesday conducted raids at different places but failed to arrest the alleged killers of popular Pashto singer Ghazala Javed and her father Mohammad Javed.

Aslam Khan, the investigation officer, told Dawn that Farhat Javed, a sister of the slain singer, had nominated three persons in the FIR so police had no doubt about involvement of anyone else in the double murder case.

He said that the three accused nominated in the FIR included Jahangir Khan of Khazana, ex-husband of the singer, and his two accomplices, Salam Khan of Shakas and Naseer of Gul Darra.

“We conducted raids at the residence of Jahangir but he was not present at home,” the investigation officer said and added that all of them might have fled to tribal areas. Police were after them, he said.

Mr Khan said that further details about the case could not be obtained because the bodies had been shifted to Swat for burial. The relatives of the singer would be contacted after her chehlum to get more information in that regard, he added.

Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture Journalists Forum (CJF) has condemned the killing of Ghazala Javed and demanded judicial inquiry into the case. The CJF also stressed the need for providing foolproof security to artists across the province.

According a press release issued here on Tuesday, an emergency meeting of CJF was called by its president Ihtesham Toru to show sympathy with the bereaved family of slain singer. The meeting declared the murder of Ghazala Javed as an irreparable loss for Pashto music.

“Ghazala participated in various culture events across the province despite receiving threats from militants. She was a brilliant vocalist and that’s why she was popular among the teenagers,” the release said. —Bureau