KARACHI: Police on Thursday started an investigation to ascertain a possible motive behind the murder of Sindh Bar Council (SBC) secretary Advocate Irfan Ali Mahar, 42, a day earlier.

Advocate Mahar was shot dead by armed pillion riders while he was returning home in a car after dropping his child to a school in Gulistan-i-Jauhar.

Lawyers boycotted court proceedings across the province on Thursday on a call given by the SBC in protest against the murder.

Newly-elected secretary of the Sindh High Court Bar Association Umer Soomro along with a delegation of bar members called on judges to request them not to hold the day’s proceedings. Lawyers also took out a rally from City Courts to the Karachi Press Club demanding immediate arrest of the unknown killers.

Sharea Faisal police have registered a case against two unknown suspects on the complaint lodged by the victim’s brother, Rizwan Mahar, who had come to the city from his native place in Shikarpur to receive the body.

The FIR was registered under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) of 1997 and sections 302 (murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

According to the FIR, the assailants’ motive may be to spread fear and panic among lawyers as the victim was secretary of the bar council.

Sharea Faisal police investigator Chaudhry Arif quoted the complainant as telling the police that his family had no enmity with anyone.

Additional inspector-general of Karachi Imran Yaqoob Minhas has established a high-level probe team led by SSP East Qamar Raza Jiskani. The SSP investigation-I, SSP special investigation unit, SPO Gulshan and Sharea Faisal SHO and SIO are the other members of the team.

SSP Jiskani has said no clue to the killers has been found as yet.

The spent bullet casings collected from the crime scene had been sent to the forensic science lab and a report was awaited, he said.

No proceedings in lower courts

Legal proceedings in lower courts also remained suspended on Thursday due the boycott by lawyers.Hundreds of cases fixed for hearing at the City Courts could not be taken up due to non-production of undertrial prisoners from jails. Work at district courts in Malir also remain suspended.

Protesting lawyers stayed away from Malir courts held a demonstration at a section of the National Highway and raised slogans for the arrest of the killers.

Published in Dawn, December 3rd, 2021