Sindh Information Minister Saeed Ghani on Saturday said that police apprehended one of the suspects involved in journalist Athar Mateen's killing. The Samaa TV journalist was shot dead by armed robbers in Karachi's North Nazimabad last week.
"The culprits will be convicted according to the law," said the provincial minister in a tweet. He lauded the Sindh police for investigating the case "efficiently", saying "the confidence of public will revive" in the performance of the police.
The victim's brother, Tariq Mateen confirmed the arrest of the suspect in an interview to Samaa TV and said Ghani had updated him about the case.
Mateen said he was told the suspect Ashraf Brohi's alias was Lallu.
“Officials have claimed that the second suspect will soon be arrested as well,” quoted Tariq in the report.
Brohi, who hails from Balochistan's Khuzdar was taken into custody from Hub. The police identified him from CCTV footage obtained from the scene of the crime.
“We have started questioning him,” DIG Nasir Aftab was quoted as saying to Samaa, adding Brohi could be clearly seen shooting Athar in the footages.
42-year-old Mateen was on his way home after dropping his children to school on February 18 when he came across two men robbing a person at gunpoint near the Five Star Chowrangi. He used his car to hit the robbers in an attempt to save the person from being mugged. The robbers fell on the road, but they opened fire on the journalist's car in retaliation and fled.
Mateen received one bullet in his chest and died en route to the hospital.