ISLAMABAD, Nov 2: Police officers investigating the murder of a former advocate general of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the capital city about two years back are receiving threats, sources told Dawn on Friday.

Mohammad Sardar Khan was gunned down in Islamabad in March 2010.

Roohullah, the alleged killer of Mr Khan, was arrested in Masqat in May 2011 and brought to the capital. However, in July 2012 he dramatically escaped from District Headquarters Hospital Rawalpindi, where he had been brought for ‘treatment’ from the Adiala Jail.

Sources said those who had played a vital role in arresting the suspect along with the members of the joint investigation team now trying to trace him were receiving threatening calls from Afghanistan. The accused and his accomplices are said to be hiding in the neighbouring country.

The police said the accused threatened the police officers that assassins had been hired who would target them if they did not withdraw from the investigation.

The Industrial Area police registered a case against Roohullah in response to a complaint lodged by Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) head constable Iftikhar Ahmed.

The police said the complainant had produced evidence against Roohullah along with his phone number. He said the threatening calls had been received from different numbers in Afghanistan.

A police officer said despite knowing the location of the alleged killer in Afghanistan, he could not be arrested as there was no extradition treaty between Islamabad and Kabul. However, the capital police have approached Interpol seeking help in the arrest of the accused.

According to a police inquiry, Roohullah escaped from the hospital after paying millions of rupees to the officials of the capital police, Adiala Jail and the hospital.