Eight Days On, Faisalabad Murder Case Awaits Official Word

Eight days after the murder, police have given no open briefing on the case.
The business community says fear is growing and wants officials to state the latest position.
Hammad Ahmed of Geo News said police issue releases on minor issues but stay silent on this case.
The postmortem found a single neck gunshot; the bullet was not retrieved.
A police officer told Grand Lines the investigation of the arrested accused is under way.

FAISALABAD: Eight days after an industrialist was shot dead in the city, police have yet to give an open briefing on the case, leaving the business community waiting for an official account of the investigation.

The industrialist, Rehan Ashraf, was shot dead on the night of 17 October on Jaranwala Road near Bijli Ghar after chasing his stolen Toyota Cygnus, which had been taken from Chenab Club valet parking.

The vehicle was a pearl white Toyota Cygnus bearing registration AYB-818.

The valet attendant who had taken the keys had also disappeared when the party returned to the parking area, according to the earlier FIR account.

First Information Report 2195/26 was registered at Sadar police station on 18 October under sections 302 and 392 of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The final postmortem report, issued by the District Headquarters Hospital on 22 October, found a single gunshot wound to the right side of the neck measuring four by three centimetres.

The report found damage to the trachea, heart, left lung and a major vessel. It said death occurred within minutes, with the bullet lodged in the chest wall and not retrieved.

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No official timeline for the investigation has been shared openly.

Older news reports said the attackers were still at large. Until now, no arrest had been openly confirmed by police.

A call for an official briefing

Hammad Ahmed, associated with Geo News, told Grand Lines that police prefer to remain tight-lipped on the issue.

He said the people of Faisalabad, including the business community and the industrialists, are eager to know the development in the case.

The murder was a shocking incident which frightened the entire community, he said.

The case has been watched closely by the city’s business community since 17 October, Hammad Ahmed said.

He said the lack of an official account has added to the anxiety among traders and industrialists.

Cameras, response and silence

Hammad Ahmed said the vehicle was stolen outside the Chenab Club, where police and traffic police are usually seen deployed outside.

He said the incident raised questions about Safe City cameras and police performance. The FIR recorded that police were called for help, but the concerned police did not reach the scene in time, he said.

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Police issue press releases even on minor issues, but on this important issue officials are silent and nothing has been confirmed openly to the media, Hammad Ahmed said.

According to Hammad Ahmed, a group of SHOs are telling journalists off the record the name of an accused said to be in custody.

Their motive, he said, is only to remain in the loop and to bring their names to the notice of officials in the hope of a reward.

He suggested that instead of remaining silent, officials should brief the media and the public on the latest position in the case.

People should be able to ascertain what happened and why the industrialist was gunned down, he said.

After the incident, most industrialists and the business community are frightened about their security, he said.

The case remains open. A full public briefing is still awaited.

A police officer told Grand Lines that the investigation of the arrested accused is under way and the public and media would be informed after its finalisation.

He said the police are aware of the sensitivity of the issue and want to disclose the details of the incident with concrete evidence to be obtained through the investigation.

Author Profile

Saleem Mubarak: Award-winning investigative journalist with 20+ years of experience across Pakistan's leading news organisations, including 15+ years as Senior Staff Correspondent at Dawn. Driven by a lifelong passion for investigative journalism and human rights, with a proven record of hard-hitting stories that forced official action — from hospital negligence and illegal land grabs to harassment probes and social injustice. He is the recipient of the K.C. Kulish International Award for Excellence in Print Journalism.