DADU: A Model Crim­inal Trial Court on Mon­day acquitted all eight accused in the high-profile triple murder case involving former PPP UC chairman Raees Karam­ullah Chandio and his two sons in Mehar town.

Raees Karamullah Cha­­­n­­dio and his sons, Mukh­tiar and Qabil, were shot dead in an armed attack at their residence in Ahmed Colony on January 17, 2018.

In a detailed 223-page verdict, Judge Hassan Ali Kalwar ruled that the prosecution had failed to prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt, declaring all accused not guilty.

The case relates to an incident in Mehar taluka of Dadu district, where armed assailants opened fire, killing Karamullah Chandio, Mukhtiar Chan­dio, and Qabil Khan. One of the attackers was also killed during the incident, reportedly by gunfire from his own accomplices.

Eight individuals were named in the case, including PPP lawmakers MPA Sardar Ahmed Chandio and MPA Burhan Khan Chandio, as well as former SHO Karim Bux Chandio. While seven suspects were initially nominated in the FIR, others were later included on charges of facilitation.

During the trial, four of the accused remained in custody, while the others, including the two PPP lawmakers, were out on bail. The case spanned nearly eight years and was heard in multiple courts, including those in Naush­ahro Feroze, Dadu, Sukkur, and Mirpur Mathelo, before being transferred to the Model Criminal Trial Court in Dadu. Proceedings also reached the Supreme Court at one stage.

Reacting to the verdict, Umme Rubab Chandio said that although the family believed they had “won in the court of public opinion,” they accepted the ruling as the decision of the state’s court. She added that the family would challenge the verdict in a higher court.

Those acquitted include MPA Sardar Ahmed Chandio, MPA Burhan Khan Chandio, and former SHO Karim Bux Chandio, along with five others.

Following the verdict, PPP leaders Burhan Chandio and Sardar Ahmed Chandio visited the residence of PPP MNA Rafiq Ahmed Jamali before returning to their hometown in Qambar Shahdadkot, where they celebrated the decision with supporters.

Strict security arrangements were maintained across Dadu district during the announcement of the verdict, with SSP Dadu Sadam Hussain Khaskheli personally overseeing patrols to ensure law and order.

Published in Dawn, March 31st, 2026