KARACHI: Sindh Information Minister Saeed Ghani on Saturday confirmed that a suspect has been arrested in connection with the killing of journalist Athar Mateen who was shot dead by armed robbers during an alleged snatching bid in Karachi’s North Nazimabad area.
Taking to Twitter, the provincial minister said the suspect – identified as Ashraf Brohi – would be punished in accordance with the law, praising Sindh police for the manner in which they handled the investigation.
سماء ٹی وی سے منسلک اطہر متین کے قتل میں ملوث ایک شخص اشرف کو سندھ پولیس نے گرفتار کرلیا ہے۔ انشا اللہ قاتل کو قانون کے مطابق سزا بھی دلوائی جائیگی۔ اس پورے کیس میں جسطرح پولیس نے جانفشانی سے کاوشیں کی ہیں وہ لائق تحسین ہیں اسی طرح سندھ پولیس پر عوام کے اعتماد میں آضافہ ہوگا۔
— Senator Saeed Ghani (@SaeedGhani1) February 26, 2022
The development was also confirmed by Additional Inspector General of Karachi police Ghulam Nabi Memon, who said that the suspect has been taken into custody on the Sindh-Balochistan border.
The Karachi police chief maintained that the authorities were interrogating the suspect, adding that more details would be shared with the media soon.
Athar, who was associated with a private media channel as senior news producer, was returning home on February 18 after dropping off his children at their school.
As he reached Shah Medical Hospital, Block-A, near KDA Chowrangi, he witnessed two armed robbers trying to rob a passer-by. He accelerated his car and hit the motorbike of the robbers, who fell on the road.
The muggers opened fire at Mateen and escaped after snatching the motorbike of another person. The police have impounded the motorbike they had abandoned.
Prime Minister Imran Khan had condemned the “brutal murder” of the journalist and expressed sorrows with the grieved family. He had directed law enforcers to take every possible step to bring the culprits to justice.
Earlier this week, journalist bodies, including the Karachi Press Club, Karachi Union of Journalists and Karachi Union of Journalists (Dastoor), had protested outside the police headquarters demanding immediate arrests of Athar’s killers.
