SUKKUR: After a considerable delay, police have finally registered a case pertaining to the targeted killing of journalist Nasrullah Gadani in Mirpur Mathelo under anti-terrorism law, it emerged on Tuesday.

Gadani was targeted in his hometown by three assailants on May 21. He was initially taken to a hospital in Rahim Yar Khan from where he was airlifted to Karachi, where he died at a hospital on May 24.

The police said that the FIR was lodged under Sections 302 (premeditated murder) 337-H (punishment for hurt by rash or negligent act), 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997 at the Mirpur Mathelo police station.

DIG-Sukkur Pir Mohammed Shah told Dawn that the FIR was registered on the complaint of Gadani’s mother Ms Pathani.

On Tuesday, the DIG termed the murder a “blind case” and said that the police picked up several suspects, but released all of them after questioning.

“We have not got any clear clue in the murder case of Nasrullah Gadani,” he said.

He said that the police were investigating the case from all angles. “We have been looking into the lifestyle of the slain journalist to know what problems he was facing and who his opponents and rivals were,” he added.

It may be recalled here that the commission for the protection of journalists and other media practitioners (CJMP) had already rejected the investigation team formed to probe the targeted attack and directed the inspector general of police to form a new committee.

The commission had also asked the IGP that the head of the new special investigation team and its members should not be taken from Sukkur.

Published in Dawn, May 29th, 2024