HYDERABAD: The missing activist of the proscribed Jeay Sindh Muttahida Mahaz (JSMM), Raja Dahir, a son of noted historian Atta Mohammad Bhambhro, was actually shot dead on June 4 and his body was found dumped in Nooriabad the same day, a piece of evidence emerged on Sunday revealed.

The body, with two bullet wounds visible in the skull, was handed over to the Hyderabad Edhi Welfare Centre whose volunteers buried it as unclaimed in Tando Yousuf graveyard, officials at the Nooriabad police station confirmed. They said they had obtained the fingerprint impressions of the victim before handing over the body.

Mr Bhambhro had reported his son’s going missing to the Hyderabad police and expressed apprehensions that like several other JSMM activists, he might also be eliminated. He also held a press conference on June 9 to demand “release” of his son alleging that some agencies personnel had taken him away.

The Nooriabad police said that they had sent the victim’s fingerprint impressions to the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) to ascertain his identity.

On Saturday, the police received the Nadra report suggesting that the person was a resident of Khairpur’s Bachal Bhambhro village. The Bhambhro family lives in the village.

Mr Bhambhro’s other son, Abdul Haq, told Dawn that he went to the Nooriabad police station to get more details and realised that the body might be of his younger brother. He said Raja Dahir had done his masters from the Sindh University and had been looking after the family’s farmland and fish pond in Khairpur until he went missing.

According to the police, the body was found in an area falling within the jurisdiction of the Nooriabad police station after a shepherd reported to them about the presence of a body. “I will move the relevant court tomorrow for the body’s exhumation, which has to be done under magisterial supervision,” said Abdul Haq.

Last year, about half a dozen JSMM activists were found shot dead most of them in Jamshoro district. The party claims that a number of others are still missing and believes that they had been picked up by security agencies. Its secretary general, Muzaffar Bhutto, was found dead in May 2012 within the jurisdiction of the Chalgari police station of Hyderabad district.

A constitutional petition seeking recovery/release of Raja Dahir was filed in the Sindh High Court and is pending a hearing, he added.

Published in Dawn, July 27th, 2015

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