Key suspect in journalist Athar Mateen murder case arrested: police

KARACHI: Additional Inspector General of Karachi police Ghulam Nabi Memon on Saturday claimed to have arrested a key suspect involved in the murder of journalist Athar Mateen.

In a statement, the Karachi police chief said that the suspect named Ashraf Brohi has been taken into custody on the Sindh-Balochistan border.

He maintained that the authorities were interrogating the suspect, adding that more details would be shared with the media soon.

Meanwhile, Sindh Information Minister Saeed Ghani also confirmed the development tin the journalist murder case.

"Sindh police have arrested a suspect involved in Athar Mateen's murder," the PPP leader said.

Alleged murderer arrested from Balochistan

On February 23, the Balochistan government had claimed that the alleged killer of journalist Athar Mateen had been arrested from Khuzdar.

Confirming the report, Balochistan’s Parliamentary Secretary Bushra Rind had said that the alleged killer of Athar Mateen has been arrested in a joint operation launched by Sindh and Balocistan police.

She had maintained that the alleged killer of the journalist is being shifted to Karachi from Khuzdar.

Rind had said that after killing the journalist, the suspect moved to his native town to evade arrest.

The Murder 

Mateen had been assassinated at the main thoroughfare in North Nazimabad while he was on his way back home after dropping his children to school.

As per the police, Mateen, who was driving a car registered against AHT-180, tried to foil a robbery bid when he saw armed motorcyclists robbing another citizen by shoving his car into their motorcycle.

At this, one of the motorcyclists, who fell on the ground, opened fire at his car.

The assailant had fired three shots, but Mateen sustained only one bullet injury which killed him on the spot, the police had said.

Since then, the journalists have been staging protests against the lawlessness in the metropolis and demanding the arrest of the killers.