Karachi: Professors at Karachi University have set May 15 as the deadline for the government to arrest the killers of their colleague, Dr Waheedur Rahman, who was slain on Wednesday by unknown gunmen.
If authorities fail to meet the deadline, the Karachi University Teachers Association (KUTA) has said it will proceed with ‘pen-down strike’ until the demand is met.
Addressing a press conference on Thursday, the office-bearers demanded that the government pay 50 million Pakistan rupees (Dh1.8 million) as blood money to the bereaved family and offer a job to Rahman’s widow at the campus.
The Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association, observed a close-down at campuses all over Sindh province, to mourn the death of Rahman who was murdered in the central district, while he was going to the campus in his car.
Initial investigations suggested that two or three people ambushed Rahman and that they had already carried reconnaissance about their target. Police have received witnesses who have helped in drawing sketches of one of the suspects.
The sketch of the suspect was released to the media, revealing a dark-complexioned, 30- to 35-year-old man with short hair.
A team of investigators also visited the campus to gather background information regarding Rahman to find out the motive behind the murder.
Some observers tried to find a link between the killing with that of Dr Shakeel Auj, the dean of Islamic Studies at the KU, who was killed last year, apparently because of his progressive interpretation of the religion.
Rahman was said to be close to Auj, but the investigators were not convinced that this mere fact could have led to his murder.
The Teachers Association demanded the government to form a joint investigation team (JIT) to probe into his murder, and for the setting up of a judicial commission to come out with a just verdict.
