(PPF/IFEX) – On 18 October 1998, Lakhano Siyal, a senior journalist, was found murdered by unknown assailants when his family members returned home from a marriage function at 2 p.m. (local time). Siyal was former vice-president of the Hyderabad Press Club and ex-chief reporter for the dailies “Aftab” and “Ibrat”. He had also worked for […]
(PPF/IFEX) – On 18 October 1998, Lakhano Siyal, a senior journalist, was
found murdered by unknown assailants when his family members returned home
from a marriage function at 2 p.m. (local time).
Siyal was former vice-president of the Hyderabad Press Club and ex-chief
reporter for the dailies “Aftab” and “Ibrat”. He had also worked for
“Mehran”, a local Sindhi daily.
His family claimed that when they were leaving for the marriage party, two
young boys, aged 15 to 17, came to meet Siyal. The two young visitors were
left behind with Siyal as they often came to meet him.
Preliminary investigations conducted by police revealed that he was attacked
with a sharp-edged weapon after having been gagged with a piece of cloth and
that he had struggled against his attackers. A blood-stained Shalwar suit, a
shirt and trousers were found at the scene of the murder, leading
investigators to believe that the killers changed their clothes after the
murder. Blood-stained hand prints were also found on a wash basin at the
scene.
Senior journalists belonging to Hyderabad have condemned the murder and
demanded an immediate arrest of the culprits. Police have arrested thirteen
persons on suspicion of Siyal’s murder.
