President Hindu General Panchayat and PPP (Minority Wing) District President Jacobabad, Sudham Chand Chawla, was shot dead here on Monday.
Unknown assailants opened fire with TT pistols on Sardar Muqeem Khan Khoso Road in the city police precincts and killed Chawla, while he was returning from his rice mill. The news spread like jungle fire and all major political, social and trade unions leaders reached the Civil Hospital where the body was taken and demanded arrest of the killers.
District Naib Nazim Jacobabad, Mir Aijaz Hussain Jakhrani and Taluka Nazim Mir Mumtaz Hussain Jakhrani also reached the hospital and assured the slain leader's brother Kanwar Chawla that the killers would be arrested at the earliest. However, angry youths of the Hindu community suspended traffic on the National Highway and Quetta Road by burning tyres and staging a sit-in. The DPO Jacobabad Akhter Ali Shah along with a police contingent reached the spot and the blockade was lifted after two hours on his assurance that the culprits would be apprehended soon.
Later, the Hindu community led by General-Secretary Hindu General Panchayat, Jacobabad, Sirichand Bawani took out a protest rally. Addressing the participants of the rally Sirichand Bawani, Pawan Kumar, Dr Ram Chand and others said that if the killers were not arrested within three days then strong protest would be observed in the district. Former MNA Sardar Muhammad Muqeem Khan Khoso, President JUI (F) Dr A G Ansari, President Chamber of Commerce Jacobabad, Ahmed Ali Brohi, and others also took part in protest.
Brohi announced a three-day shutter-down to mourn the murder. He also gave three days ultimatum to the district administration to arrest the killers. District Naib Nazim postponed the scheduled session of the District Assembly Jacobabad as a mark of mourning.
No case was registered till filing
of this story, however, the police sealed all main entry and exit points
and the DPO Jacobabad was working on the case. The minority leader has
left behind a widow, four sons and one daughter.