SUKKUR: A former member of the Sindh Assembly, Sardar Shaheryar Shar, escaped unhurt in a gun attack on his vehicle in the riverine area of Rwanti, in Ubauro taluka of Ghotki district on Monday. His bodyguard, Ali Mohammad Shar, was killed and two associates, Jan Mohammad Bugti and Sohrab Shar, were wounded in the attack.

The former lawmaker remained missing for quite some time after the attack but a police force riding armoured personnel carriers (APCs) was dispatched to the area to safely rescue him.

Sources in the Rwanti area said that ex-MPA Sardar Shaheryar Shar along with his associates Jan Mohammad Bugti and Sohrab Shar had entered the riverine area for their routine business. They were escorted by Shaheryar’s bodyguard, Ali Mohammad Shar. A gang of heavily armed dacoits suddenly appeared before them and opened fire on their vehicle. All the three persons accompanying Shaheryar received bullet wounds, they said, adding that when the area police reached the spot to transport the victims to the taluka hospital, they found Sardar Shaharyar missing.

According to the police, body guard Ali Mohammad Shar had died on the spot.

As soon as the news about the attack went viral on the social media, a large number of Shar community members gathered close to the site of the attack and tried to advance into the dangerous riverine area. However, the police stopped them from moving forward.

The police pacified the enraged people by telling them that they were in contact with the Sardar and that he was safe. They said that they were making efforts to safely rescue him. A little later, a police team riding APCs moved into the riverine area and brought Shaheryar to the Rwanti police station.

Police claim arresting dacoits’ informers

Kandhkot police on Monday claimed to have arrested two suspects, who confessed to have passed on information to the criminals about wealthy traders of the town, collected protection money from them on their behalf and transferred it to them after keeping their cut.

Amid ongoing protests against increasing activities of dacoits who were openly sending threatening chits with demands for protection money to traders and businessmen in Kandhkot and other areas, A-Section police finally succeeded in nabbing two suspects identified as Ajeet Kumar and Vinesh Kumar Kingrani who worked as dacoits’ facilitators.

They confessed to having provided phone numbers and other details about the targeted victims to gangsters, said police officials. They also shared with journalists video clips of the suspects who could be heard confessing to their crimes.

They said that Vinesh had confessed during initial investigation that he had worked for the dacoit, Nawab Jagirani and passed on to him phone numbers and other required details of several traders and businessmen.

He had collected Rs1 million protection money from Jai Kumar and given it to Jagirani who paid him [Vinesh] Rs200,000 as his share, they said.

They said that Ajeet Kumar worked for Khadim Hussain alias Khadu Bhayo gang and helped him by collecting Rs3.5 million from different traders, including his own uncle. Police officials said that they had locked up the suspects in the area’s police station and registered cases against them under relevant sections of Anti-Terrorism Act.

Published in Dawn, October 15th, 2024