Primary suspect in murder of judge’s son arrested

KARACHI: Barkat Lashari a notorious criminal and nominated accused in the murder of Aqib Shahani son of the District and Session Judge Thatta, Khalid Hussain Shahani, was arrested by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on his return from Dubai on Friday.

In the same murder case of February 2014, the Anti-Terrorism Court, Hyderabad awarded former Sessions Judge Sikandar Lashari and one of his aides Faheem the death penalty in August 2018 and the Sindh High Court upheld the same on April 21, 2020.

Initially, four persons were nominated, including the aide of Judge Lashari, Barkat Lashari, Abbas Sial, and Muhammad Irfan. Judge Sikandar Lashari and Irfan were arrested within days of the murder while accused Barkat and Abbas Sial remained at large. Barkat Lashari had fled to Dubai after the murder but was deported from there for committing a crime and was subsequently arrested in Karachi on return.

On return from Dubai, accused Barkat Lashari was handed over to Hyderabad Police, which produced him before the Anti-terrorism Court, Hyderabad, and got his one-week physical remand. Hyderabad Police sources informed that the passport and mobile phone of accused Barkat are in their custody and further investigation is underway. According to the Hyderabad Police sources, Barkat Lashari confessed to his crime and claimed to have arranged hired killers but denied his presence at the crime spot.

Aqib aka Kashif Shahani,19 years old, a law student at a private institute in Karachi and the son of a district and sessions judge Khalid Hussain Shahani, was killed in Hyderabad on February 19, 2014, while driving along with his family members to their home in Qasimabad, Hyderabad. The victim’s mother, two sisters, and cousin were also present in the car and witnessed the gruesome murder.

The former District and Sessions Judge Sikandar Lashari was charged with instigating the killing since the deceased was reportedly in love with his daughter which had deeply antagonised him. Police sources describe it to be a case of honour killing. The Sindh High Court suspended Lashari on March 3, 2014, and granted permission to the police to interrogate the judge. The FIR of the incident was registered at the GOR police station, Hyderabad on the complaint of Hunain Shahani, a cousin of the deceased.