RECORDER REPORT
KARACHI: Sindh Minister for Planning and Development Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani and his wife former Member Sind Assembly and prolific writer Fareeha Razzaq were found shot dead under mysterious circumstances at their DHA residence, here on Thursday.
“Preliminary investigation shows that both were shot in the head,” Sindh Minister for Information and Transport Nasir Hussain Shah said, adding that there was no signs of distress on Bijarani’s face when he attended the cabinet meeting Wednesday. “Bijarani was not a person who would commit suicide,” Shah said.
The family members of the deceased, Sindh Chief Minister, Sindh Home Minister and others of their colleagues and Inspector General of Police Sindh AD Khowaja visited the house.
Nasir Shah said despite the fact he was a minister and head of his tribe, Bijarani was not fond of protocol because he always wanted to lead a very simple and low-profile life.
Meanwhile, CTD police in-charge Raja Umer Khatab said Bijarani was shot once and four misfired bullet casings were also found at the scene. The weapon that was purportedly used in the violent deaths had been recovered. The bodies were recovered from a study room adjacent to their bedroom.
The body of the provincial minister’s wife was found lying on the floor while Bijarani’s on the couch.
IGP Sindh A D Khowaja said the police has taken custody of CCTV camera recordings, however, he added that all the cameras were placed on the exterior of the premises.
The police also took three members of the domestic staff, including a woman, into custody along with two police guards for investigation. They included Bijarani’s cook, driver and the driver’s wife.
Police officials said the domestic staff ran to the upper floor after shots were heard, after which the staff informed the minister’s son, MNA Mir Shabbir Ali Bijarani. The staff also informed the police that Bijarani’s son was the first person to enter the room after entering the residence from its back door.
Medical board formed
A medical board, headed by JPMC’s Dr Seemi Jamali, was formed to conduct post-mortem on the bodies. She confirmed that the couple was brought dead to the hospital, with the provincial minister having suffered a single gunshot wound to the temple.
She said that Bijarani’s wife was shot more than twice. The post-mortem of the minister and his wife was completed late on Thursday evening and later Bijarani’s body was shifted to an Imambargah.
The post-mortem report stated that while Bijarani suffered a single gunshot wound to the temple from a close distance, his wife had suffered three gunshots; one to the head and two others on other parts of her body from some distance.
Bijarani was born in Karampur, Sindh, on 10 July 1946. He was elected as member of Sindh Assembly from PS-16 constituency as a PPP candidate in the 2013 general election. He was a veteran politician. He was a professional lawyer and had completed his LLB from Sindh Muslim Law College. Bijarani began his political career after he was elected to the Provincial Assembly of Sindh in 1974. He was re-elected as MPA in 1977 general election. He was elected Senator in 1988 and MNA from NA-157 (Jacobabad) for the first time in 1990 elections. He was re-elected MNA from NA-157 (Jacobabad) as PPP candidate in the 1997 general elections and again elected from NA-209 (Jacobabad) in 2002 general elections. He won that constituency alongside PS-16 where he was elected MPA.
PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has expressed grief over the deaths of senior Sindh Minister and his wife Fareeha Razzaq. Fareeha was not his first wife.
The PPP Chairman said that Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani was a senior PPP leader and an asset for the Party. Bilawal termed his death an irreparable loss to his Party and expressed sympathies with the members of bereaved family.
Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif also offered his condolences on the death of Bijarani. “Deeply shocked to learn about the murder of veteran PPP politician Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani & his wife! May Allah rest their souls in eternal peace & give patience to the bereaved family & friends,” said CM Punjab on twitter.
Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari, the daughter of PPP chairman Asif Ali Zardari, said that she was shocked and horrified by the tragic news of the murder of Bijarani.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Sindh president Arif Alvi also expressed his condolences. He said he was very sad to hear that his friends Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani and Fareeha Razzaq Haroon were shot dead. “May their souls rest in peace. Met him on Monday last and Fareeha came over for lunch to my house on Saturday,” he said.
PPP MNA Nafisa Shah said: “Heartbreaking news has just been reported. This is a big tragedy for the family and the PPP. My thoughts and prayers are with their families, constituents and our PPP family.”
Aaj News reported that his body was flown to Sukkur from where it would be shifted to Karampur for burial. Before that funeral prayers will be held. A large number of people have reached Karampur for condolences with the bereaved family.
