Balochistan’s political personality Shahzain Mari name has been linked to the Mustafa murder case as the police investigates the drugs racket following the arrest of Sahir Hasan in the case, sources within the Crime Investigation Agency has said.

Mari’s name surfaced during the interrogation of Sahir, prompting the investigative team to conduct a more in-depth inquiry into the matter.

On Saturday, Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori told reporters that if the Mustafa murder case was “handled properly,” it could lead to the eradication of drugs.

“Significant names will surface in the Mustafa case and the powerful entities behind them are quite influential,” he said and alleged that he has received death threats via email, warning him that he could meet the same fate as Imran Farooq.

Karachi Boat Basin case: two-day remand granted for Shahzain Mari’s five guards

A judicial magistrate (south) remanded five security guards of Balochistan’s political personality Shahzain Mari in police custody on Saturday in the Karachi Boat Basin assault case.

In the proceedings, the police produced five arrested security guards in court.

The investigating officer sought the physical remand of the accused, arguing that it was “essential to conduct a forensic analysis” of the CCTV footage for a thorough investigation of the case.

In response, the defendants’ lawyer claimed that the individuals produced in court were “clearly visible” in the CCTV footage, but the police have yet to reach the main suspect. The lawyer added that the arrests were made “only because of media pressure” and “no one has the courage to apprehend the primary accused, Shahzain Mari.”

The lawyer claimed that the cook and employees had been arrested even though they were not present at the scene. In a sarcastic tone, he said that even if the political personality were to stand in court himself, the police would not dare to lay a hand on him.

The court reserved its decision on the police’s request and later remanded the five security guards to police custody for two days.

On Friday, police arrested two security guards of Mari after they allegedly assaulted two people in Karachi’s Boat Basin area. They were arrested after a CCTV footage of the incident went viral on social media, with several users condemning the harassment and demanding justice.

The main suspect fled to Balochistan, according to the DIG South. They claimed to have recovered modern firearms from the suspects. The incident reportedly occurred on February 19 at around 3am.

In his video message, the victim of the assault stated that “influential individuals” attacked him and his friend while they were out for a meal. He added that a vehicle approaching from behind behaved “rudely and hit them.” The citizen said, “When will the VIP culture end in our society?”

On the other hand, the police stated that it was premature to confirm Mari’s presence in Balochistan. They claimed that they were unaware of any correspondence from the Sindh Home Department regarding Mari and cannot verify which area he may be “hiding in.”

According to the police, the Balochistan Home Department has not informed the Sindh government about any such correspondence, if it occurred. They added that action would be taken based on the directions from the Balochistan Home Department once a district is identified.

In a related development, during the investigation of the Mustafa murder case in Karachi’s Defence area, the names of Armaghan and Sahir emerged, along with Mari. Reports suggested that Mari was also involved in “drug trafficking.”

Sources within the CIA have said that Mari was implicated in drug purchases, as his name came up during the interrogation of the arrested suspect, Sahir Hasan.

Family of prime suspect reacts to assault

The family of Mari has responded to the incident, claiming it was being presented in a “one-sided manner.” Sources stated that the political personality and his associates were “verbally abused by Barkat Soomro, which they argue is unacceptable in a tribal society.”

The family also alleged that the police were attempting to conceal “important aspects” of the incident. They claimed that Mari was leaving after having a meal when a vehicle was parked in the middle of the road, and the driver appeared to be intoxicated and preoccupied with his phone. Shah Zain honked his horn to alert the driver.

They added that Soomro, who was in the vehicle, did not yield the right of way and instead began to “verbally abuse” Shahzain. They asserted that the “subsequent reactions” could be seen in the videos circulating online.

Moreover, the family noted that Mari and his associates were in possession of licenced firearms, but they “refrained from retaliating.” They criticised the police for allegedly trying to hide a crucial element of the incident.