KARACHI, April 25: A worker of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) was arrested on suspicion of killing an activist of the Sunni Tehrik, police said on Friday.

On January 5, 2008, the body of an ST activist, Shafeequr Rehman, was found with multiple bullet wounds in Sector 1-C, KBR, Buffer Zone.

The inquiry officer in the case, Sub-inspector Khursheed Khan, said that the victim’s brother, Jalil Mohammad, had lodged an FIR (18/2008) under Sections 302/34 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) at the Taimuria police station against unknown persons.

He had nominated Azam alias Bali saying that he might be behind the murder of his brother, said the inquiry officer.

The IO said that upon investigating the case, the police found some circumstantial evidence which suggested the involvement of Azam in the murder of Shafeequr Rehman that led to the arrest of Azam alias Bali on Thursday. According to the police, Bali is an activist of the MQM associated with the KBR sector.

A senior police officer, who wished not to be named, told Dawn that the law-enforcers were facing immense pressure from the party to release the suspect.

Officials at the Taimuria police station said that a number of Muttahida workers had gathered outside the police station, questioning the rationale behind the arrest of their colleague.

Sensing gravity of the situation, the suspect was shifted to the North Nazimabad police station, while police high-ups had also been informed about the matter, officials said.