The investigation of educationist Syed Khalid Raza took a turn with new information coming to light that the victim was being surveilled three months before his murder.

Khalid Raza was shot in the head outside his home in Gulistan-e-Jauhar on the night of February 26.

The 55-year-old victim was the vice-chairman of the Federation of Private Schools Pakistan and also the deputy director of the Darul Arqam Schools.

According to sources, the victim had been warned of the exact time of his death in a parcel delivered to his house months ago.

The victim’s family said that three months ago, they received a parcel. The delivery rider confirmed that it was Khalid Raza’s residence and handed the parcel over to the family. The parcel contained a watch with the time set at 8:10, the exact same time when Khalid Raza was shot three months later. The parcel also contained a note that read, “Best Wishes Khalid Raza”.

The investigating authorities have started gathering details about the parcel rider.

Investigative sources say that the family saw the rider making a video of the house, and they tried to stop him but he fled.

The victim’s brother, Syed Tanveer Ahmed, has registered a case of target killing at the Gulistan-e-Jauhar police station.

The murder

Khalid Raza was murdered outside his home at 8:10 pm on February 26 in Gulistan-e-Jauhar Block 7. The police described the incident as a targeted attack.

According to the initial investigation report, the victim came out of his house and was walking towards his car, which was parked nearby. Two armed men on a motorcycle appeared, opened fire on him, and fled the scene. Khalid Raza suffered a single bullet wound in the head and died on the spot.

The police said that it appeared that the assailants were waiting to ambush him. Police added that the attackers did not take any of the victim’s belongings.

Foreign involvement

On February 28, the investigation team probing Khalid Raza’s target killing said that they suspected foreign involvement with the help of local facilitators. The local facilitators are most likely operatives of a nationalist party, investigators said.

The high-profile murder case was then transferred to the Counter-Terrorism Department.

Police officials said that a terrorist organization had claimed responsibility for the targeted killing.