Investigators looking into the death of University of Karachi (KU) Assistant Professor Dr Waheedur Rehman alias Yasir Rizvi are drawing a blank as to who murdered him.
Dr Rehman was shot dead near the Karachi Institute of Heart Diseases (KIHD) in Federal B Area on April 29. He had been on his way to the varsity in his Suzuki Cultus when at least five assailants on motorcycles attacked him.
Per details, Karachi police have accepted their failure in resolving Dr Rehman’s murder case. This comes a few days after they admitted their failure in tracing the murderers of The Second Floor (T2F) Director and social activist Sabeen Mahmud, who was on her way back to her house after attending a session on the Baloch missing persons held at T2F last month.
After Dr Rehman’s murder, a team of investigators was visiting KU regularly and met with the teaching and non-teaching staff there to find out who was involved in the murder. The investigators visited the varsity campus and seized Dr Rehman’s computer. They also held meetings with the university higher-ups and those who were in contact with the slain professor.
However, IG Sindh in his statement to a news channel claimed that someone inside the varsity is behind the murder of Dr Rehman, although he refused to comment further on the issue.
“I will not lie and the reality is that we have not moved an inch forward in Dr Rehman’s murder case so far,” West Investigation-II SSP and head of the investigation team Arib Maher claimed.
“We sought some time from the varsity management to resolve this high-profile murder case,” the SSP said. “We will not hide anything and make every development public as far as Dr Rehman’s murder is concerned,” he assured.
However, KU teachers were of the view that an official version from the police was needed to develop a future strategy in this regard.
“There are a lot of rumors rife in KU as far as the case investigation is concerned. However, the investigators, instead of giving clear answers, are seeking time to resolve this high-profile case,” Karachi University Teachers’ Society (KUTS) Vice President Prof Dr Muttahir Sheikh said.
“There were some reports that the law enforcers have sought details of some Mass Communication department students in connection with Dr Rehman’s murder case. But when I made a call to the Mass Communication Department Chairperson Prof Dr Mehmood Ghaznavi, he declined and said that there is no reality behind such reports,” Sheikh added.
“Now, the Sindh IG has claimed that the investigation revealed that someone inside the varsity is behind Dr Rehman’s murder. However, the investigators on the case are claiming that they have made no progress and need more time to resolve this case,” Sheikh maintained.
“We demanded the law enforcers to hold a press conference or issue a press release regarding the investigation made so far so that we (the teachers) can devise our future course of action,” Sheikh maintained.
Replying to question, he said that a meeting of Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (FAPUASA) is due in the next week to review the progress made in the case.
“We have given a deadline of May 15 to the government to arrest the culprits behind Dr Rehman’s murder and if the government fails to meet our demands in the given deadline then FAPUASA will decide its future actions,” Sheikh said.
