KHAIRPUR, Dec 31: Slain Professor Dr Saleem Ahmed Kharal was laid to rest near the grave of his brother and renowned story writer Naseem Kharal in Shaheed Badshah graveyard here on Saturday.

Emotional scenes were witnessed when his body was brought in an ambulance at Kharal House here from Karachi, where he was killed on Friday.

Hundreds of people, many of them shedding tears, gathered at Mumtaz Ground where his funeral prayers were offered. The prayers were attended by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Home Minister Manzoor Wassan, provincial ministers Ayaz Soomro and Rafique Engineer, Dr Kharal’s brother PPP MPA Naeem Kharal, nephew SSP Sharjeel Kharal, DIG of Sukkur Dr Ameer Shaikh, SSP of Khairpur Irfan Ali Baloch, other officials, doctors and poets, besides people from different walks of life.

Pakistan People’s Party activists and doctors wore black arm-bands in the city to mourn his death. Some organisations have displayed banners at different places, demanding early arrest of the killers.

The death of Dr Kharal was also mourned in Gambat, Riprri, Kharalabad and other towns of Khairpur district.

Dr Kharal had passed Secondary School Certificate examination from Comprehensive High School, Khairpur, Higher Secondary School Certificate examination from Superior Science College, Khairpur and MBBS from Sindh Medical College, Karachi.

During his college life in Khairpur, he had remained active in student politics. He wrote short stories which were published in different magazines. He participated in literary programmes of Radio Pakistan’s Khairpur station.