SWABI: The police have arrested eight suspected contract killers.

District police officer Imran Shahid told reporters here on Friday that a group of hitmen gunned down Mohammad Iqbal, brother of lawyer Mustafa Kamal, and injured his nephew Munawar Iqbal in Zaida area on March 17.

“We have arrested four members of the group, who belong to Kotha village, three of Topi city and an Afghan national, whose family lives in Topi,” he said.

The DPO said the police seized Rs0.5 million, unlicensed arms, and motorcycles and were interrogating the arrested men. The police said Mr Mustafa, who belonged to Kaddi village, had enmity with Singapore-based Abdul Aziz, whose hired contract killers.

They said Mr Aziz’s son was killed during a clash with Mr Mustafa’s family on return from Singapore and the killing caused enmity between the two families.

KILLER TRACED: The police on Friday claimed to have traced the killer of a five-year-old girl from Speen Kani village of Razaar tehsil.

The girl’s body was found in a water channel on Thursday.

The DIG of Mardan police has formed a three-member committee to investigate the murder.

The girl’s father has claimed that the family has no enmity.

Published in Dawn, May 9th, 2020