SANGHAR: A key witness has come forward in the investigation into the mysterious death of journalist Khawar Hussain, the head of the Sindh government’s special fact-finding committee revealed on Monday.
Committee chairman, Additional IGP CTD Azad Khan, said the witness had spoken to Khawar Hussain shortly before his death.
Addressing a press conference in Sanghar, Khan said Hussain’s car, mobile phone, and pistol have been sent for forensic examination, while CCTV footage is being collected to trace his movements from Karachi to Sanghar.
He added that only one mobile phone was recovered from the vehicle, but investigators suspect a second phone may be with Hussain’s family, which will also be taken into custody for examination.
The inquiry chief disclosed that the recovered phone’s data had been wiped, though forensic experts are working to recover it.
Khan further said the investigation team would meet Hussain’s family after his burial to gather additional information. He stressed that the inquiry is examining all possible angles, but at this stage, it cannot be confirmed whether the case involves murder or suicide.
Read more: Family of journalist Khawar Hussain arrives from US, calls death a ‘murder’
Earlier, a CCTV footage recorded shortly before Khawar Hussain’s death has also been surfaced, showing the journalist parking his vehicle outside a private restaurant where his bullet-riddled body was recovered from.
Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Shaheed Benazirabad, Faisal Bashir Memon, confirmed that the CCTV footage of the incident is being reviewed. He added that no eyewitness reported hearing gunshots.
He stated that the car windows were closed, and there was no evidence of anyone else nearby. Call data records (CDR) will be retrieved within 24 hours, he added.
Th DIG added that the decision to form the medical board was made on the request of the victim’s family and journalist community.
DIG Memon revealed that the pistol recovered from the car belonged to Khawar Hussain himself, which he reportedly kept for safety. Footage showed that before his death, Hussain parked his car, went twice to ask about the washroom—from the hotel manager and later from a guard—and then returned each time to sit in his car.
