Arshad Pappu’s son arrested for murdering former SHO Niazi

A joint team of the Karachi Police and Sindh Rangers has announced the arrest of slain notorious Lyari gangster Arshad Pappu’s son alleged to be involved in the murder of a former station house office (SHO) in Saddar’s Preedy area earlier this week.

In a media briefing on Friday, SSP South Rai Ijaz and Colonel Nasar of the Sindh Rangers said former Chakiwara SHO Chand Khan Niazi, 50, and Abdur Rehman, 40, were returning on a motorbike after attending a court hearing at the Central Jail on Tuesday when motorcyclists gunned them down at around 11am in Saddar.

The Preedy police found a card of the Balochistan Education Department on Rehman, saying he was a prayer leader there. Former Chakiwara SHOs Javed Baloch and Chand Khan Niazi and others were charged with involvement in the March 2013 triple murder of Pappu, his brother Yasir Arafat and their confidant Juma Shera.

CCTV camera footage of Tuesday’s incident shows a pillion rider firing at the victims for a close range. After Niazi fell to the ground, he shot Rehman as he tried to escape but managed to move only a few yards.

The officials said that after the incident, two investigation teams, one each by the Sindh Rangers director general and the police, were formed. During the investigation, law enforcers coordinated with one another and used technical apparatus, including the footages available to them, to track down the culprits.

After they were tipped off about the location of the suspects, they carried out a raid and arrested Alam Baloch, son of Arshad Pappu. During the initial interrogation, Baloch disclosed that he along with his associates had planned to target former SHO Niazi on March 21, and the following day he had targeted Niazi in the Preedy area to take revenge of his father’s killing. Raids are being carried out to arrest his accomplice.

The victims were accused of being involved in the murder of Arshad Pappu and his associates, a key figure in the Lyari gang war. Colonel Nasar said there was no evidence of reactivation of the Lyari gang war; however, once the Lyari gang war was a big network, which was dismantle by the law enforcers in the past.

The SSP South said Baloch would also be questioned about the double murder in Soldier Bazaar reported recently. He added that the situation would be clear from the forensic report of the 9mm empty casings found at the crime scene. Information was also being gathered about relatives who had been in touch with the suspect, he said.

The investigation into the double murder in Soldier Bazaar was also expected to move forward soon, and other people involved in the Arshad Pappu case would be protected and their security upgraded.