On October 27, the Sindh government announced the arrest of four suspects belonging to a proscribed organization in connection with the murder of journalist and anchorperson Imtiaz Mir, who was killed in an armed attack in Karachi last month.
Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar, Inspector General of Police Ghulam Nabi Memon, and Additional IG Javed Alam Odho briefed the media at a press conference, terming the arrests a major breakthrough in the case. Lanjar said that Karachi police, with the assistance of a federal intelligence agency, apprehended four men linked to a banned militant outfit.
The suspects were identified as Syed Ijlal Zaidi, Shahab Asghar, Ahsan Abbas, and Faraz Ahmed. According to officials, they were associated with “Lashkar-e-Sarallah,” a faction of the proscribed Zainabiyoun Brigade. Police said the men were residents of Nazimabad and were taking instructions from their handlers based abroad. Four pistols, ammunition, and two motorbikes used in the attack were also recovered.
Lanjar said the suspects had confessed to their involvement in the killing and were found to be educated individuals. He added that the group’s ringleader was living in a neighboring country, which, according to him, was involved in funding and spreading unrest in Pakistan. The investigation was carried out jointly by Karachi police and two federal intelligence agencies, and the case had now been completed, he said.
Inspector General Memon stated that forensic testing confirmed that bullet casings recovered from the crime scene matched the weapons seized from the arrested suspects. The home minister said Mir was targeted because the perpetrators believed he had expressed views perceived as favorable toward Israel in an interview.
Imtiaz Mir, who was associated with Metro News Television, was attacked on September 21 while returning home near Malir’s Kala Board area. Six gunmen riding two motorcycles opened fire on his car, which his elder brother was driving. Mir suffered multiple bullet wounds and later died during treatment at a private hospital. His brother was also injured in the attack.
Following the incident, Mir’s brother Riaz Ali lodged a case at the Saudabad police station, initially nominating a man and his sons with whom the family had a land dispute in their hometown in Jacobabad. The attack was initially thought to have been motivated by that dispute.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and several political leaders had expressed sorrow over Mir’s death and directed law enforcement authorities to ensure the arrest of those responsible.
