LAHORE: The investigations into the shocking murder of PTI’s one of the founding members and owner of a private hospital Dr Shahid Siddique took a surprise turn when it transpired that his son was behind his assassination.

The high profile murder drew widespread condemnation when issues surrounding family disputes surfaced.

The Organised Crime Unit (OCU) of Lahore police arrested Dr Shahid’s son Abdul Qayyum who reportedly confessed to killing his father.

There were reports that the prime suspect was not enjoying a good repute and it was the second attempt he made to get his father killed through a hired assassin.

Suspect planned second bid to kill father for opposing his marriage proposal

Dr Shahid had survived an earlier armed attack in January this year and a case was lodged against unknown armed men.

It was said that Abdul Qayyum planned a second attempt to kill his father when the deceased opposed his marriage proposal with a girl of his choice.

An official privy to the information said that Lahore capital city police officer (CCPO) had assigned the murder case to OCU SP Furqan Bilal keeping in view his professional skills and the previous record of tracing and resolving high profile murder cases.

He said the SP and his team members worked for three consecutive days soon after the murder and unearthed the gang on Monday.

The murder case had assumed a significant importance as some PTI stalwarts tried to politicise it.

Sharing details of the investigations, the official said Dr Shahid had good relations with a number of senior police officers of Punjab.

Some of the police officers were aware of his family’s matters, including his differences with his son Abdul Qayyum and they too helped the police trace the case.

He said Abdul Qayyaum had struck a deal of Rs50 million with his friend Sheharyar from Vehari district for the murder of his father.

Sheharyar was an artist by profession and he hired his father Sajjid Ali as shooter who murdered Dr Shahid when he was leaving Khizra Mosque at H-block of Valencia Town after offering Friday prayers.

The official said the recce was done by a local barber, another member of the gang, who gathered information about the movement of Dr Shahid.

The official said Qayyum had initially paid Rs1.6 million to his friend and promised the remaining payment after completing the task.

He said the OCU team took a lead when they traced the location of a suspected man who had fled towards Bhobhatian Chowk on Raiwind Road [after the armed attack on Dr Shahid] by a car bearing fake registration number. The car disappeared for some nine minutes or so in a street and then appeared again with an original registration number plate. The OCU’s locators traced the car and got details which showed the owner was a resident of Vehari district.

The official said the police team picked up the car owner who told the investigators that he had rented out his vehicle to a woman who drove it to Lahore in connection with the marriage proposal of her daughter.

The police got the Call Data Records (CDRs) of the woman’s mobile phone and took her two sons into custody as they were having some criminal record.

During investigations, it was learnt that the family had deliberately left the mobile phones at their residence in Vehari which strengthened some doubts about their mysterious activities.

They were using only one mobile phone and the OCU team detected some calls they made to the barber who was hired for the recce of Dr Shahid Sidduque.

As the police picked up the barber for interrogation, he unfolded the murder plan saying that he was hired by Sheharyar to check the movement of Dr Shahid. To a question, he said Qayyum had hired 20 armed guards a day after the killing of his father and got cash transferred to his accounts (from his father’s accounts).

He said police tactfully took him out of his residence to avoid any armed clash with his bodyguards and questioned him at a location in Iqbal Town.

During interrogation, Abdul Qayyum confessed to his crime, the official said, adding that teams have been dispatched for the arrest of other gang members, including the shooter.

Published in Dawn, August 6th, 2024