Slain PPP Member of Sindh Assembly (MPA) Shehnaz Ansari was laid to rest at Syed Ismail Shah graveyard in the presence of hundreds of mourners in Naushahro Feroze on Sunday.

Earlier, her funeral prayer was offered in Naushahro Feroze, which was attended by a large number of PPP leaders and party workers including lawmakers and officers of the Police and civil administration.

PPP MPA was gunned down in Naushahro Feroz over a property dispute of her widow sister with her brother-in-law on Saturday.

Shahnaz Ansari suffered three fatal bullets in the abdomen and was rushed to Civil Hospital Nawabshah for medical assistance where she succumbed to her injuries.

According to the bereaved family, no FIR has been registered yet

SSP media talk

Later, Naushahro Feroze Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Mohammad Farooq informed the media that the police have made some arrests but fell short of mentioning how many.

The SSP, however, did not confirm or deny whether an FIR has been registered.

The police officer denied that the slain MPA had requested for security. “Had she asked the police for security, we would have provided it to her.”

About claim made by the slain MPA’s husband that he along with his wife had visited the SSP and requested security, the SSP claimed, "Being a political personality the MPA used to visit his office frequently and she came 4 days ago too but I don’t have any idea about the doctor [the victim's husband].”

The police on Saturday had said the slain lawmaker had gone to her late brother-in-law’s village, Murad Khokhar, along with a sister to attend his Chehlum. There a heated argument broke out and she was fired upon by a relative of her brother-in-law. They said her widowed sister had a property dispute with the family of her late husband.

According to sources, she had written a letter to the commissioner, deputy commissioner and the SSP concerned (whose copy had been forwarded to the speaker of Sindh Assembly), alleging that Akhtar Ali Khokhar, his brothers and his son, Akhtar Khokhar, were harassing her widowed sister and her.

The late Dr Khokhar had reportedly transferred all his properties to his widow and their children in his life, the letter read.

The MPA had urged the authorities concerned that her statement should be made part of the official record and necessary legal action may be taken against the said persons “to save our lives.”

She leaves behind a husband, two sons and three daughters.

The police officers on Sunday morning claimed to have arrested a woman in connection with the assassination of the MPA.

Condemnation

PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Sindh CM Syed Murad Ali Shah and Governor Imran Ismail have condemned the shocking incident.

The CM has sought a report from the Deputy Commissioner and SSP Naushahro Feroze. He also called for the immediate arrest of the perpetrators involved in the murder of Shahnaz Ansari.

Bio of deceased MPA

Ansari was born on January 10, 1970, in Naushahro Feroze. She earned a bachelor degree in arts from the Shah Abdul Latif University. She was elected to the Sindh Assembly on a PPP on a reserved seat for women in 2013 elections. She was re-elected to the Provincial Assembly on a reserved seat for women in 2018 elections.

Related stories

Police 'arrest' woman suspect in Shehnaz murder case

PPP MPA Shahnaz Ansari shot dead in Nowshehro Feroz