SUKKUR, Oct 21: A journalist, Shahid Soomro, was shot dead in front of his house at Mirzapur Mohalla in Kandhkot on Sunday.

A correspondent of the Sindhi daily Kawish, 26-year-old Soomro was shot in the belly around midnight when he tried to resist five men who wanted to kidnap him.

Mr Soomro is survived by his wife, two sons, and three daughters, besides a widowed mother.

The SHO of Kandhkot said that an FIR had been registered against five suspects, including Wahid Ali Bijarani, Mohammad Ali Bijarani and Mohammad Bajkani.

The FIR was lodged by the journalist’s brother, Abdul Aziz, who said his brother had identified the killers before he died.

Wahid and Mohammad Ali are the brothers of the MPA-elect from Kandhkot, Mir Mehboob Bijarani.

Police said that Mohammad Ali had been arrested and efforts were being made to apprehend the others.

Mr Soomro’s killing has caused grief, unrest and anger among journalists in the province, especially in areas where they have been performing their duties amid pressure and threats.

Sources close to Mr Soomro’s family said that he had developed differences with a political group, supporting an MPA-elect in Kandhkot, since the beginning of the election campaign.