DADU: Makdoom Iftikharul Haq, a revered spiritual leader having a big following, was shot dead by a group of armed men in Pat Sharif town of Dadu district on Wednesday.

Makhdoom Haq was the custodian of the Fazl-i-Ilahi shrine, which is frequented by hundreds of devotees as a daily routine. Escorted by his police guard, Ghulam Nabi Birhamani, he left his home to go to the shrine when seven armed men riding motorcycles opened fire on them in the Shahi Bazaar area and drove away.

The victims were rushed to the Dadu Civil Hospital, where the Makhdoom died and the guard was admitted for treatment.As soon as the news of the Makhdoom’s death spread in Pat Sharif, the entire town was shut down in mourning and several thousand of shocked devotees rushed to the hospital.

Dadu SSP Shabbir Ahmed Sethar and ASP Sarfaraz Virk along with their teams cordoned off the areas around Shahi Bazaar and deployed policemen at all entry/exit points of Pat Sharif and Sita Road towns. A house-to-house search for the assailants was launched during which at least 10 suspects were picked up. The SSP said that a number of arms were seized from them.

An FIR of the incident was registered, on behalf of the state, in which Mohammed Chandio and Arbab Chandio were nominated as the prime suspects. Both of them were later arrested while a hunt for others was under way till late in the evening.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) MPA Pir Mujeebul Haq and former education minister Pir Mazharul Haq visited Pat Sharif and expressed their shock and grief over the killing of Makhdoom Haq while speaking to the media and mourners at the shrine.

Published in Dawn, August 18th, 2016