Homicide ruled out as cause of Prof Zafar’s death

KARACHI: A noted academic and leader of Mutahida Qaumi Movement-London Prof. Hasan Zafar Arif died of natural causes and no criminal intent could be established by a detailed chemical examination of the deceased.

According to the report by Sindh Chemical Examiner on Tuesday, the chemical analysis of the viscera could not detect any traces of poison, drugs or any narcotic substances in the organs, blood or clothes of the late academic, further strengthening the doctors’ and police opinion that the Muttahida leader died of natural causes.

Prof. Hasan Zafar Arif, 75, was found dead in his car in Ibrahim Hyderi on January 14 stirring a controversy about the circumstances of his death as the MQM London leaders alleged that the elderly professor was killed by law enforcement agencies, a claim rejected by the provincial government, doctors and police.

The political storm over his death also led to the MQM London chief reprimanding the head of Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center for ruling out murder as the cause of Prof. Zafar's death, while supporters of the Muttahida London also threatened her. It is worth mentioning here that Prof. Hasan Zafar Arif's daughter Shehrazade Zafar Arif had also made it clear hat her father had died of natural causes.

As no mark of torture or violence was observed on the body of the late professor, samples of the internal organs, blood and clothes were dispatched to the Director Laboratories and Chemical Examiner, Sindh, to ascertain if it was a case of homicide.

According to the Sindh Chemical Examiner’s report there were no traces of 17 chemicals, drugs, poisonous substances or narcotics found in the samples of stomach, intestines, lungs, liver, spleen, kidney, blood and clothes. The examination also did not find any traces of blood on the trousers, and shirt worn by the Prof. Hasan Zafar Arif, ruling out any physical injury as well.

Meanwhile a report of the histopathological examination of internal organs is awaited, Police Surgeon Aijaz Khokhar said and added that only after receiving both the reports, he would be able to conclusively comment on the cause of death of the late professor.