Bijarani killed wife before committing suicide: police

KARACHI: The Sindh Minister for Planning and Development, Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani, apparently killed his wife Fariha Razak Haroon in a fit of rage following an altercation raging for the last few days over some issue, before committing suicide with the same weapon. This was stated by DIG South Azad Khan while talking to the media on Friday.

Describing the incident as a murder cum suicide, DIG Azad said the death was caused by the same .30 calibre pistol, which was recovered from near the bodies. He said Fariha received three bullets; one on the head and two in the abdomen. Her body was found lying on the floor near the entrance of the study located adjacent to their bedroom, he said. The body of Bijarani was found on the couch in the same room, with a single gunshot to the head, he added.

Quoting Bijarani's guards, SP Clifton Tauqeer Muhammad Naeem told The News that on 6:30 am on Thursday, they heard loud voices and arguments between the husband and wife followed by gunshots.

The alarmed guards informed Fariha's son who forced open the house locked from inside and found the bodies lying in pools of blood. The servants told the police that the late minister and his wife were running a dispute for the last many days and they would often hear loud arguments between the two. The police recovered four empties, three missed bullets, and a live bullet from the crime scene.

In his press statement, the DIG South said the Darakhshan Police were informed about the incident at 2:30pm on Thursday. He said the police secured the crime scene and took video recordings for investigation. He said the investigation and forensic teams collected evidence including, blood samples, fingerprints, bullet empties and the .30 calibre pistol.

DIG Azad said the police shifted the bodies to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre and started investigations under Section 174 of the CrPC. He said the police recorded statements from six men, including two police guards and four domestic servants.

Meanwhile, SSP Javed Akbar Riaz told The News that police had not registered an FIR of this incident since no one from either the families of Bijarani or Fariha had approached the police for registration of a case.

Our correspondent adds from Sukkur: The son of late Hazar Khan Bijarani, MNA Shabir Ahmed Bijarani, described the police version of suicide cum murder as incredible. He said his father neither committed suicide nor killed his wife. Terming it a conspiracy, he demanded a proper and impartial investigation into the incident.

Talking to the media on the occasion, Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah termed Bijarani's death a great loss to the party. Murad described the deceased leader as an asset and one of the most senior members of the party. He said the concerns of Shabir Bijarani would be addressed and the provincial government would constitute a probe committee.

Meanwhile, the shocked supporters of Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani were overcome with grief over the death of the political leader. They described the late Bijarani as a kind man who took care of the people of his constituency. It was a local holiday in Kashmore and Jacobabad as announced by the Sindh government. Kandhkot, Kashmore,Tangwani, Ghouspur, Karampur and other cities remained closed as a mark of respect.

Earlier, the funeral prayers of Mir Hazar Khan Bajarani were held at the Grid Station Ground in Karampur, district Kandhkot, on Friday. The funeral prayers were largely attended by people from all walks of life, including Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah, Leader of the Opposition Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah, Federal Minister Murtaza Khan Jatoi, Sindh Home Minister Sohail Anwar Siyal, Information Minister Nasir Hussain Shah, Speaker Sindh Assembly Agha Siraj Durani, Sindh Minister for Works and Services Imdad Pitafi, Minister of Industries and Production Manzoor Hussain Wasan, Excise Minister Mukesh Chawla and MPAs Imtiaz Shaikh, Shaharyar Khan Mahar, besides other people from every walk of life.