RAWALPINDI: Police investigating into assassination of sub-inspector of Homicide Investigation Unit (HIU) have decided to grill members of a banned outfit who were arrested by the SI as police believe that such types of killing do not happen in old enmities.

According to sources, the members of the banned outfit were convicted and are now undergoing imprisonment.

The martyred sub-inspector had also received life threats, but not in the recent past, the sources said.

SI Mohammad Arshad was gunned down by two motorcyclists near Qasim Aviation Base on Thursday night when he on his way home after picking up his son Mohammad Shahzaib from an engineering university.

His son Shah Zaib said in the FIR that his father was driving the car, while his uncle Shafqat Iqbal and his cousin were sitting in the rear seat. He said as his father slowed down the car on a bumpy road near Qasim Base, a motorcycle with two persons riding on it appeared at the right side of the car.

“When the motorcycle came close to my father, pillion rider fired three gunshots on him injuring him badly,” Shah Zaib said adding that later the motorcycle riders sped off and his father died on his way to hospital.

A police team comprising SP Saddar Mazhar Iqbal and SP Potohar Syed Ali was formed to investigate the assassination of a senior sub-inspector who had been investigating high profile murder cases and had a role in arrest of members of a banned outfit and recovery of explosives jackets and illegal weapons.

Sources close to the investigation revealed that the police believe that the SI was killed by well trained hired assassins because he was targeted after being tracked and in the darkness and at an isolated place.

The sources said the police had also decided to review the high profile cases, SI Arshad had investigated during his service.

The police have also decided to investigate members of banned outfit who had been arrested by the sub-inspector and recovered suicide jackets and other assault weapons from them.

On the other hand, a police team comprising three SPs and five DSPs and 15 inspectors searched the area around the crime scene, employing a heavy contingent of police.

Slain Sub Inspector was laid to rest in a graveyard of his native town Jhelum after funeral was offered at the Police Lines.

After the funeral, guard of honor was also paid to him. The dead body was shifted to Pind Dadan Khan and was buried in his native graveyard.

Published in Dawn, October 6th, 2019