GUJRAT: A Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) affiliated aspirant for Punjab Assembly constituency PP-29 (Tanda-Karianwala), Malik Saqib Nawaz, was shot dead by two armed men allegedly over suspicion of providing information to police against them at Jalalpur Sobtian village in Karianwala police precincts.

Reports said Saqib Nawaz was working at his farm in the village when two armed men Shahbaz Asghar Rehania and Anwar Rehania arrived there and opened fire at him.

As a result, Nawaz got seriously injured, whereas the suspects fled the scene. The injured man succumbed to his bullet wounds while being shifted to hospital.

The body was shifted to the Aziz Bhatti Shaheed Teaching Hosptial (ABSTH) where doctors conducted the autopsy. Later the body was handed over to the victim’s family.

As the news of the attack spread, a large number of TLP workers reached the hospital.

The father of the deceased alleged that the suspects had a suspicion that his son was informing the police about their illegal business of liquor sale as a consignment (of liquor) had recently been seized. He added the suspects also had some land dispute with the deceased over which they killed his son.

Police have registered a case against five nominated and two unidentified suspects under sections 302, 34 and 109 of Pakistan Penal Code on the report of the father of the deceased.

Sources say the police have detained a couple of suspects nominated in the case and were investigating into the matter.

Malik Saqib Nawaz had filed his nomination papers to contest the February 8 elections from PP-29 and had applied for a TLP ticket.

Published in Dawn, December 28th, 2023