13 years on, journalist murder case demands justice

The family of slain journalist Zakir Hussain, also known as Shan Dahar, along with representatives of a media rights organisation, on Saturday demanded a fresh investigation into his murder and the immediate arrest of suspects who have remained at large for over a decade. Addressing a press conference at the Karachi Press Club, Zakir's sister Fauzia Dahar, along with activists Adil Jawad and Waqar Soomro, accused the Larkana police of facilitating the accused, Irfan Brohi and Amir Zahri, by allowing them pre-arrest bail and allegedly staging a "dramatic arrest" for publicity. They claimed that despite prior knowledge of court orders, the police issued a press release and circulated photo-graphs showing the suspect in custody, only to release him later. They termed the move a clear indication of collusion and a serious blow to the justice system. Recalling the incident, they said Zakir, who served as a bureau chief for a private news channel, was shot dead in 2014 in Larkana while performing his professional duties. They added that the journalist had identified his attackers before succumbing to his injuries. Citing findings of international media watchdogs, the speakers urged the Sindh government and the IG police to order a transparent reinvestigation into the case by a senior officer. They also called for action against officials found negli-gent and demanded protection for the victim's family. They stressed that justice in the case had remained elusive for 13 years and warned that continued inaction would fur-ther erode public trust in law enforcement institutions.