No arrests in Amjad Sabri murder case: Karachi police chief

KARACHI: Additional Inspector General (AIG) Karachi Mushtaq Mehar on Sunday denied that any arrests had taken place pertaining to the assassination of Qawwali maestro Amjad Sabri.

Earlier media reports suggested the arrest of a suspect linked to the high-profile murder case, with some media outlets reporting that he had confessed to his role in the killing and also named some accomplices.

The Karachi police chief, however, rejected all such reports asserting that no arrest has so far been made in the case.

"Several people were detained on suspicions of their alleged role in the assassination. They were however released after no evidence was found against them," he said.

The top official also denied issuance of the suspect's image, as reported in local media.

Mehar went on to say that it is a high-profile case and lamented efforts to affect investigations into it.

On June 22, renowned Qawwal Amjad Sabri was gunned down by unknown assailants in Karachi's Liaquatabad area. Sabri was shot multiple times and succumbed to his wounds on his way to a local hospital, police said.

Amjad Sabri, 45, was one of South Asia's most popular singers of the 'Qawwali', Sufi devotional music that dates back to more than 700 years. He was the son of renowned Qawwal of the 1960’s, Ghulam Farid Sabri, and the nephew of Qawwali icon Maqbool Sabri who passed away in 2011.

His brutal assassination came as a shock to almost everyone, with condolences pouring in from not just within, but across the border as well.

Thousands gathered to offer his funeral prayers the next day and the famed Qawwal was laid to rest next to his father Ghulam Farid Sabri in Paposh Nagar graveyard amid tears and sobs.