KARACHI: Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar on Monday announced that four suspected militants were arrested for murdering journalist and anchorperson Imtiaz Mir.

On Sept 21, Mir had left his office and was travelling in a car driven by his elder brother when armed men on motorcycles opened fire on the vehicle near Malir Kala Board. The journalist sustained multiple bullet wounds and died during treatment. At that time, the police claimed that the murder was motivated by some personal enmity.

Speaking at a press conference at the Karachi Police Office, the minister said that Karachi police and two intelligence agencies had jointly carried out a raid and apprehended the four suspects belonging to a banned militant outfit.

The suspects were identified as Ajlal Zaidi, Shahab Asghar, Ahsan Abbas and Faraz Ahmed. They are said to be associated with “Lashkar Sarullah”, which is part of the banned Zainabiyoun Brigade.

He said the suspects, all residents of Nazimabad, were taking directions from their handler(s) living abroad.

Lanjar announces arrest of four suspected hitmen; says mastermind living in ‘neighbouring country’

Flanked by Inspector General of Sindh Police Ghulam Nabi Memon and city police chief Javed Alam Odho, the minister termed the arrests a breakthrough in the murder case. He added that the motorbikes used in the attack had also been recovered.

Mr Lanjar claimed that the slain journalist was targeted because the killers regarded him as an alleged sympathiser of Israel.

The arrested suspects were “educated” individuals, and their ringleader was living in a neighbouring country, he said, without naming the country.

He said that the investigation into the case had been completed. Two federal intelligence agencies had jointly worked with Karachi police during the investigation, and all held suspects had “confessed” their involvement in the murder. One of the suspects also had a previous criminal record, he added.

IGP Memon said that spent bullet casings recovered from the crime scene in Kala Board, Malir, had matched with pistols seized from the custody of the arrested suspects.

Published in Dawn, October 28th, 2025