LONDON: A murder investigation was launched by police here after the body of a 45-year-old man was found in a car parked in the parking lot of a popular shopping centre in East London.

A statement released by Metropolitan Police confirmed one arrest linked to the murder. The statement said police were contacted by a neighbouring force on the afternoon of Tuesday, Jan 9, following a report they had received from a member of the public.

“At 01:17hrs on Wednesday, 10 January police traced a car to the Stratford Centre car park in Newham. A man’s body was found in the car.

“Police are working to confirm the man’s identity and inform next of kin. A post-mortem examination will be held in due course.”

Sources said the deceased Khalid Mahmood was a 45-year-old British Pakistani man who hailed from Sargodha and owned a mobile phone shop in the area. A man was arrested in the early hours of Jan 10 at a residential address in Hamp­shire on suspicion of murder. His identity and that of the deceased were not made public by police.

Chief Superintendent Simon Crick, responsible for policing in Newham, said: “I know many local people use the Stratford Centre every day and this awful incident will of course cause considerable concern to shoppers and retailers.

“I would like to reassure people that a man is in custody and, while my colleagues in Specialist Crime investigate, we do not believe there to be any danger to other people. If you have information that you think could help us, I urge you to contact police immediately.”

Published in Dawn, January 12th, 2024