SARGODHA: Two hired assassins arrested for the murder of a young man in Sargodha have confessed that they acted on the instructions of the deceased’s father and brother.

The incident took place on Feb 13, 2025, when Babar Sultan of Chak 55-NB reported to Jhal Chakian Police that his brother, Farrukh Sultan, was found killed in his camp. He said when he went to wake Farrukh up, he found him lying in a pool of blood.

Police handed over the body to the heirs after postmortem and registered a case under section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

Reports said Farrukh had been shot in the right temple and left rib, with bullets fired from two different pistols.

During investigation, Babar initially stated he had not seen any suspects. However, his younger brother Shiraz told police he heard gunshots from Farrukh’s room during the night. Two visitors frequently seen with Babar, Javed and Hassan were taken into custody.

The suspects confessed that they had acted as paid assassins, hired by Babar and his father, Mumtaz. The two suspects were presented before Additional Sessions Judge Muzaffar Ali Anjum and applied for interim bail. They claimed it was unimaginable for a father and brother to commit such a crime.

Babar and his father alleged Shiraz had fabricated the story for property inheritance and bribed police officials. However, Shiraz’s lawyer presented telephone call records between Babar and the killers.

The judge rejected the bail applications, ordered the arrest of Babar and his father, and directed the police to file a new case based on Shiraz’s complaint.

DRIVER’S KILLER: The killing of a truck driver initially taken as a murder during a robbery turned out to be a case of honour killing, police said.

Sudhira Fazal, a truck driver from Choasidan Shah, was shot dead in the hilly area of Katha Sangral. Initial reports said he was killed during a robbery attempt. However, after his family arrived at the scene, the police learned that Sudhira had married a woman in court against her family’s wishes. Her brother and cousin had previously attempted to kill him, but their gun misfired, and one was arrested.

On Monday night, Sudhira was shot by an unidentified assailant while passing through the hills in his truck. According to the conductor, no robbery took place as a lone gunman opened fire killing the driver. A murder case was registered on the complaint of Sudhira’s brother, police sources said.

BODY FOUND: The body of a young man who drowned while bathing in the Jhelum River was recovered after a two-day search.

The deceased, identified as Usman, went missing near the town of Bhera. Rescue teams located his body near Khan Muhammadwala after an extensive operation and handed it over to his family.

Published in Dawn, May 28th, 2025