In a recent development in the murder case of journalist Jan Muhammad Mahar, Sukkur Police have apprehended Safdar Soomro, a schoolteacher suspected of aiding the main suspect, Sheral alias Shero Mahar.
During a press conference on August 21, while announcing the arrest, SITE Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Syed Mushtaq Shah detailed that Soomro, a resident of Lakhi Ghulam Shah in the Shikarpur district, was taken into custody based on technical evidence. He is accused of facilitating communication and supplying provisions to Sheral Mahar and the notorious dacoit, Nasro Qadrani, operating in the riverine areas of Shikarpur.
Shah said Soomro actively supported the dacoits, frequently sending food and other items via boats. The suspect’s involvement extended to over 200 telephone communications with Nasro Qadrani over the past 20 days.
Soomro’s arrest marks the seventh facilitator apprehended by the Sukkur police since the tragic incident in August 2023. Mahar, a seasoned journalist associated with the KTN TV channel, was fatally shot on August 13, 2023, in the Sukkur city while on his way home from the office. The assailants, riding a motorcycle, targeted him near St. Saviour School on Queens Road, shooting him with multiple bullets in the head and near his eyes. The victim was rushed to a private hospital and underwent surgery, but he succumbed to his injuries.
The murder sparked significant outrage and concern within the media community.
