The main suspect in the August 2024 murder of senior journalist Jan Mohammad Mahar, was shot dead during a police operation in Shikarpur’s Katcha area.
Sher Ali alias Shero Mehar, along with his son, was killed in a targeted operation by police and Rangers after receiving intelligence about his whereabouts at a hideout linked to Qadrani Jatoi’s dacoit gang in the riverine region. Shikarpur SSP Shahzeb Chachar confirmed that the police had blocked all exit and entry points in the area and Mehar was killed in a targeted operation. Due to the difficulty in capturing Mehar, the Sindh government had placed a Rs5 million bounty on him.
Sindh Home Minister Zia-ul-Hasan Lanjar and Sindh IGP Ghulam Nabi Memon both confirmed the success of the operation, stating that justice had been served for the slain journalist. Sindh Energy Minister Nasir Hussain Shah also confirmed that Shero Mehar died during the shootout, noting that while authorities tried to apprehend him alive, he was ultimately killed in the exchange of fire.
Mehar’s body was later transported to Lakhi Taluka Hospital for a postmortem examination. Following the announcement of his death, some social media activists raised doubts, suggesting that Mehar had already died from Hepatitis C before the operation, alleging the police were claiming credit for his death to collect the bounty, Dawn reported.
