MIRPURKHAS/NAWAB-SHAH: Khipro town was shut in mourning after a local leader of Grand Democratic Alliance and former taluka nazim was gunned down reportedly by about a dozen assailants who rained bullets on his vehicle when he was going to his farmland in Noor Khan Dars village near Khipro on Saturday. One of his bodyguards was also killed in the attack and another suffered injuries.

Haji Khuda Bux Dars accompanied by his personal bodyguards, Khalique Dino Dars and another unidentified guard, left the house in his vehicle and drove to his fields on routine inspection when the vehicle came under attack by the armed men who were lying in wait in a cotton field along the road.

The injured and the bodies were rushed to Khipro taluka hospital. Dars had eight gunshot wounds, said sources in the hospital.

As the news of Dars’ murder spread, shops and markets in Khipro were shuttered as a mark of protest as well as mourning over the death of the former taluka nazim of the town. Later, Sanghar and other towns of the district were also shut while supporters of PML-F and GDA and members of Dars community gathered in Khipro to attend last rites of the leader.

Mirpurkhas range DIG Javed Jiskani has ordered deployment of additional contingents in Khipro to keep the situation under control while Sanghar police were carrying out raids across the district to arrest the killers. Dozens of suspects had been taken into custody for interrogation, said sources.

The sources said that the murder appeared to be an offshoot of a running dispute between Dars and Marri clansmen. About a year ago, a Marri clansman was killed in an exchange of fire between the two communities.

GDA shocked at the murder

GDA leaders Dr Safdar Abbasi and Sardar Abdul Rahim demanded in a press statement that a high-level committee should be formed for investigation into the alliance leader’s murder.

They said that Hur Jamaat and Pakistan Muslim League-Functional would announce their future course of action soon. The party leaders were being targeted routinely at the behest of some people in the Sindh government, they said, adding their patience was now wearing thin and they would not spare the killers.

They said that Sindh IGP and law-enforcement agencies must take action to arrest the killers immediately, else PML-F workers would hold protests across the province.

They urged the party workers and supporters to exercise patience.

Pakistan Peoples Party’s MNA Shazia Jannat Mari and former PPP MNA Naveed Dero also condemned the GDA leader’s killing and said that Dars’ murder was a conspiracy aimed at destroying peace of the district. Police should arrest the killers immediately, she said.

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Mirpurkhas divisional president Aftab Hussain Qureshi termed the murder a conspiracy aimed at igniting armed clashes between political parties and disturbing law and order throughout the province.

Two suspects held

According to a press release issued by the office of Sindh home minister quoting Sanghar SSP, police have so far arrested two suspects identified as Sohbat Marri and Gul Marri and started interrogating them to reach all the murder suspects.

Home Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar directed the SSP to investigate the case thoroughly and ensure arrest of all the culprits.

Published in Dawn, June 30th, 2024