KHAIRPUR: Police on Wednesday claimed to have arrested main suspect in Ramsha Wassan murder case Zulfiqar aka Zulfoo Wassan, a hardened criminal who was wanted in 22 cases involving murder, robbery and police encounters.

Khairpur SSP Umar Tufail Khan told a press conference at his office that Zulfoo and his accomplices trespassed into Ramsha’s house at around 11.30 pm on Feb 1 and brutally killed her by firing at her nine times with a pistol. The case was lodged by police at Kumb police station to save the victim’s family from being pressurised to take back the case.

He said that police picked up 20 suspects who were close aides and relatives of the main suspect and formed three teams for their interrogation to reach Zulfoo.

In 2011, the officer said, Sindh government had issued a notification recommending Rs500,000 head money on Zulfoo who at that time was wanted in more than 18 criminal cases involving charges of murder, robbery and police encounters. Zulfoo managed to obtain bail and get his name struck off the list of proclaimed offenders but continued criminal activities.

In 2012, the SSP said, Zulfoo killed Javed Ahmed Jiskani and Babra Wassan in the name of honour. Then in 2013, he dragged a clerk of Shah Abdul Latif University, Mohammad Ameer Shambhani, from a bus and sprayed him with bullets with a Kalashnikov. He killed one Abdul Wahab Morejo during general election 2012 and severely injured Tahir Imtiaz Phulpoto, Mudassir Pathan, Mashooq Jagirani and Rahib Ali.

The officer continued that in 2013, he attacked house of Abdul Sattar, a clerk in irrigation department, with a rocket launcher when a rally taken out by PML-F was in progress in Kumb town, and killed the clerk.

Besides, he said, the criminal killed several passengers during robberies on the National Highway. All the cases were so far lodged at Kumb police station and they totalled 22.

The SSP said the other main suspect in the Ramsha murder case was Abdul Ghaffar Wassan who was already arrested by Khairpur police a day ago.

Contrary to police claims, some sources disclosed that an influential political personality drove Zulfoo in his vehicle to the police station and handed him over to police late on Wednesday night under a “deal” to get the criminal relief in other cases lodged against him.

Published in Dawn, February 7th, 2019