Shahid Soomro

Incident Description: Shot Dead

On October 20, 2002, a correspondent in the town of Kandhkot for the Hyderabad-based Sindhi-language Daily Kawish, Shahid Soomro, was shot dead in front of his house. Soomro was allegedly killed in revenge for his reporting during the recently concluded election campaign. He was shot in the abdomen at around midnight, when he tried to resist five men who wanted to kidnap him.

Press reports quoting sources close to the family of the deceased said Soomro’s reporting during the election campaign had angered the recently elected member of the provincial assembly from Kandhkot, Mir Mehboob Bijarani, and that Soomro had received death threats. According to details, the two brothers of MPA-elect Bijarani, Waheed Ali Bijarani and Muhammad Ali Bijarani, and their three accomplices arrived at Soomro’s house at midnight and called him to come out of his home.

When Soomro came out, the assailants tried to kidnap him. They shot him with Kalashnikov and TT pistols when he resisted and then escaped in a car. Soomro was taken to hospital in critical condition but died en route to the hospital.

As per an IFEX report, Soomro’s family had settled with the accused killer, who paid Rs1.6million for forgiveness. According to police they arrested the culprits and presented them in court . However the issue was resolved between both parties and the victim’s family withdrew the case after receiving the Rs1.6 million.