KARACHI, Jan 28: The postmortem examination of the alleged underworld don, Shoaib Khan, was performed late on Thursday night at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre by a team of doctors but a statement on the cause of his death was reserved for want of laboratory tests.

Additional Police Surgeon of the JPMC Zulfiqar Siyal told Dawn that the panel of doctors was appointed to conduct the autopsy which began late in the night and continued till 1:40am.

"We did not see any abnormality visible on the body. We have preserved his body viscera for chemical test and histopathological examination, and handed them over to the SHO concerned for further submission with the laboratory. We cannot speculate the cause of death until the laboratory tests are received", Mr Siyal said.

Besides, he said, the samples of the deceased's urine, blood, and fluid were sent to the laboratory for tests whereas radiology examination was performed. The final cause of death would be suggested after the receipt of all the tests, he added.

Shoaib Khan, allegedly involved in 17 cases of murder and possession of unlicensed weapons, died mysteriously in the Central Prison Karachi early on Thursday morning.

The jail authorities claimed that Shoaib Khan died of heart failure but family sources expressed their apprehensions that he was poisoned to death. Late on Thursday night, the body was handed over to his family. He was buried in a local graveyard on Friday.