Same weapon used in murders of KU professors Shakeel Auj, Waheedur Rehman

KARACHI: The ongoing murder investigation of two Karachi University lecturers achieved progress on Sunday as sources privy to the probe said the same weapon was used to gun down Professor Waheed-ur Rehman and Dr Shakeel Auj.

Police officials close to the investigation said it had so far been ascertained that the bullets which claimed Professor Waheed-ur Rehman's life were fired from the same murder weapon that killed Dr Shakeel Auj last year.

Dr Rehman, 42, an assistant professor at KU’s mass communication department and a journalist, was shot dead on April 29 by masked gunmen near his residence in Karachi's Federal B Area.

The killing of Dr Rehman came months after another KU professor – Shakeel Auj, the dean of Islamic Studies department – was gunned down in Gulshan-i-Iqbal in September last year.

According to Dr Auj’s son, Hassan Auj, Dr Waheed was his father’s student and close confidante. He said Dr Rehman was very close to the family and was also assisting in the investigation of his father's murder.

So far, no suspect has yet been arrested in connection to Dr Waheed-ur Rahman's murder despite the formation of a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) late last month.

Police have however arrested a man they say was involved in the murder of Dr Shakeel Auj.

According to police sources, the suspect has confessed that he was helped by four other men in carrying out the deadly attack.

The four accomplices are still at large, they said.