SAHIWAL: The District Chapter of the Punjab Teachers’ Union (PTU) along with other teachers associations organised a protest rally against the brutal murder of schoolteacher Rehana Akhtar.

The rally began at the Government Girls High School Pakpattan City, where Ms Rehana had served and proceeded to the Mashlee Chowk. Colleagues and students of the deceased teacher joined the demonstration, demanding justice for their mentor.

During the protest, PTU passed a resolution strongly condemning the killing of a dedicated educator. Protesters called for the immediate arrest of the prime suspect, Constable Zahid Sukhera, who fled with his wife and two children after the incident.

According to initial reports, Constable Sukhera was residing in a rented house owned by Rehana in Mohallah Hasan Pura in Pakpattan City. A financial dispute and repeated harassment was thought to be the motive behind the crime.

Prime suspect has obtained protective bail from SHC

Speaking to Dawn by phone, Ms Shazia Rafiq, CEO of the District Education Authority, confirmed that the matter had been escalated to senior officials of the School Education Department and to local MPA Ms Aammara of the PML-N.

PTU District President Rao Shahid stated that protesters met and submitted an application to Pakpattan DPO Javed Chadhhar, urging swift action for Sukhera’s arrest. Sources informed Dawn that the police had detained several individuals for interrogation to trace the fugitive’s whereabouts.

Unconfirmed reports also suggest that PTU office-bearers met with Crime Control Department (CCD) District Head Malik Tariq Javed for the early arrest of the absconding constable. Mr Javed confirmed to Dawn that CCD had been coordinating with the district police to track down the main suspect.

According to reliable sources, the prime suspect along with the deceased’s daughter-in-law Rehana Yasin and her brother Asif alias Bila had succeeded in obtaining a protective bail from the Sindh High Court (SHC), Hyderabad Bench, until April 29.

Zahid had filed the protective bail application through his counsel, Aslam Jawad Arian, on April 23 and SHC Justice Jawad Akbar Sarwana granted the protective bail. The council had prayed that the kidnapping case registered by the victim’s brother, Umer Daraz, at the Pakpattan City Police Station appeared to have “malafide intentions”.

Zahid’s council argued that he was a law-abiding citizen willing to face trial but feared arrest, humiliation, and disgrace before reaching the trial court, hence he sought legal protection.

Commenting on the SHC’s decision, Sahiwal RPO Ayaz Saleem stated that police were actively tracking the movements of the prime suspect despite him securing protective bail. “He will be arrested after April 29,” the RPO added.

It is pertinent to mention that a separate murder case against unknown persons was registered on April 21 at the Rang Shah Police station following the recovery of Rehana Akhter’s mutilated body from village 34/SP. That FIR was lodged on the complaint of Sub-Inspector Shoukat Ali. Interestingly, the kidnapping case of the deceased teacher was registered by the Pakpattan City Police on April 22, a day after the murder FIR had already been lodged by the Rang Shah police.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2026