MANSEHRA/SHANGLA: The Mansehra police booked PML-Q MPA Mufti Obaidur Rehman and arrested nine suspects over the recent killing of Kolai-Palas district education officer Nawab Ali.

A local court remanded the nine suspects in police custody on Monday for seven days.

They included senior clerks at the DEO offices in Kolai-Palas Badil Khan and Mohammad Iqbal, dispatch rider in the education department Pasand Khan, applicants for driver posts Mohammad Iqbal, Abdul Wadood, Dost Mohammad and Obaidullah, teacher Noorul Haq and Fakharuddin.

Suspects MPA Obaidur Rehman and Zakir Khan are at large.

Gunmen had killed DEO Nawab Ali in his house earlier this month.

DPO claims officer killed for refusing jobs to men of suspects

Disclosing the arrest of suspects, district police officer of Mansehra Zaibullah Khan told a news conference that the arrested men and two other suspects were involved in the killing of DEO over refusal to appoint 17 people recommended for lower grade posts.

He said a joint investigation team formed by the deputy inspector general of Hazara region’s police had traced the motive for killing and thus, leading to the arrest of suspects.

“The DEO was tremendously pressured by local MPA Mufti Obaidur Rehman and other suspects for the appointment of recommended men to lower grade posts. They had also threatened him with dire consequences,” he said.

The DPO said the police had also recovered a letter written by the DEO to a man, whose name was withheld due to the sensitivity of the case, about his illegal detention in Abbottabad by former local government nazim Mohammad Aziz.

He said though the former nazim had got his men’s appointment letters signed by the DEO at gunpoint on Sept 27, the latter cancelled them all four days later.

Mr Zaibullah said the suspects angered by the move killed the officer in his house.

Meanwhile, a court in Shangla district remanded nine people suspects in police custody for seven days in the DEO Nawab Ali killing case.

The suspects were brought to the court amid tight security.

Published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2019