SUKKUR: The Anti-Terrorism Court of Sukkur has granted bail to two more accused nominated in the murder of senior journalist Jan Mohammad Mahar. The journalist was killed during the night intervening Aug 13 and 14 last year by unknown killers near St. Saviour School on Queens Road in Sukkur.

He was driving a car when assailants riding a motorcycle fired several shots at him and sped away. Mahar succumbed to his wounds during treatment at a hospital hours later.

His family had nominated Shero Mahar, Gulzar Mahar, Roshan Mahar, Naseer, Juman, Mohsin and Qurban Mahar, all of them have escaped arrest so far. However, police had arrested many other suspects for interrogation and nearly all of them have since obtained bail.

In the latest hearing of the case, two more accused, Shero Shaikh and Razan Shaikh, were granted bail in a sum of Rs200,000 each by ATC Judge Abdul Rehman Qazi, who adjourned the matter till October 29.

Complainant Karamullah Mahar along with Shahid Mahar and Amir Mahar attended the hearing.

Karamullah, speaking to the media, wondered that the prime suspects could not be arrested even 14 months after the murder. He quoted police as claiming that they were hiding in the gang-infested riverine area.

He said that six of the accused, including Bakhshal alias Bakshu, Babar, Munawwar and Basheer had already been freed on bail and now two others, Shero Shaikh and Ramzan Shaikh, were granted bail.

Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2024