KARACHI: A brother of slain qawwal Amjad Sabri said on Thursday that the renowned singer had not received any death threats before he was killed in a targeted attack in Liaquatabad neighbourhood here a day earlier.
"He was a pious man... he never thought about [threats to his life]," said Sarwat Sabri while talking to media representatives. Media reports earlier quoted a Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader as saying that Amjad Sabri had received life threats.
Sarwat Sabri called on the Chief of Army Staff Gen Raheel Sharif to bring the killers of his brother to justice.
He said Amjad Sabri's death was a major loss to the world of qawwali but "it is an art form the door of which can never be shut".
A First Information Report has not been registered so far however, Rangers personnel visited the Sabri residence on Thursday where they collected evidence and the cellphone of Amjad Sabri to examine call records, DawnNews reported.
Meanwhile, preparations for the qawwal's funeral have been completed and his body was transported to his residence from a mortuary. His namaz-i-janaza will be held on Thursday after Zuhr prayers at Furqania Masjid in Liaquatabad. He will be laid to rest in the Paposhnagar Graveyard.
Thousands of fans, supporters and neighbours gathered at the Sabri residence to witness Amjad Sabri's funeral proceedings.
A wave of grief and shock gripped the country on Wednesday when armed motorcyclists sprayed Sabri with bullets in broad daylight in Liaquatabad area when the 40-year-old was heading to a private TV channel to perform in its Ramazan transmission.
The killing was carried out on a day when the law enforcement agencies had claimed to have beefed up security in the wake of the kidnapping of the Sindh High Court chief justice’s son, Advocate Awais Ali Shah.
The killing was widely condemned, with Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah describing the incident as part of an “organised conspiracy to destabilise the city situation”.
According to an officer of the Sharifabad police station, Amjad Sabri left his home in Liaquatabad No 3 along with the friend at around 3pm. The qawwal was driving the car, Dawn newspaper reported.
The police believed that the motorcyclists chased the car on the main road in Liaquatabad No 10. But they didn’t overtake it until the car moved to the service road near the Gharibabad underpass, leading to Hassan Square. Finally, the motorcyclists intercepted the car on the service road and the masked pillion rider fired multiple shots at Sabri before fleeing. The sole target appeared to be Sabri as his colleague remained unhurt, said the police officer.
