QUETTA: Police registered an FIR on Wednesday against unknown people in connection with the murder of a leader of the Awami National Party (ANP), Arbab Ghulam Muhammad Kasi, whose body was found in the Kuchlak area on Tuesday.

       “The FIR was registered with the Kuchlak police station on the complaint of a police officer after receiving a post-mortem report of a police surgeon who said the ANP leader was murdered by unknown people,” officials said.

       The body of the ANP leader was kept in Quetta Civil Hospital last night and police surgeon Dr Ayesha Faiz declared in her report after post-mortem that it was not a suicide.

       “The ANP leader was shot dead and the bullet hit left side of the head close to ear which caused his death,” she said in her initial post-mortem report, adding that according to family members, Arbab Ghulam Kasi was right-hander, while the bullet hit the ANP leader from the left side of the head and crossed to the other side.

       “Yes, we have registered an FIR of the murder of Arbab Kasi against unknown people as the family has not nominated anyone and the FIR has been registered on the complaint of the SHO of the Kuchlak Police Station,” a senior police officer told Dawn.

       He said the police surgeon had already declared the incident a murder after autopsy. Police have collected evidence from the crime scene and are investigating the incident.

       Earlier, police had said that the deceased might have committed suicide as a pistol was found along with the body. A police official said the pistol would be sent for forensic examination.

       Meanwhile, the ANP leader was buried in a family graveyard in the presence of thousands of party leaders, workers, and other people. His funeral prayer was offered at the main football ground of Kuchlak and attended by party leaders and other people.

       Earlier, provincial president of the ANP, Muhammad Asghar Achakzai, had refused to bury the body of the party leader until the arrest of those involved in the murder of Mr Kasi.

       However, later police and the authorities concerned assured the ANP leaders that all efforts would be made to arrest those involved in the murder and a judicial inquiry would be conducted into the matter.

       Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2023