SANGHAR – Senior journalist Khawar Hussain Bajwa, a reporter for DawnNews TV, was found dead in his car in Sindh’s Sanghar district late Saturday night, with police saying they are probing the incident “from all possible angles.”
According to police, the journalist’s body was discovered in the driver’s seat of his parked car on Hyderabad Road, outside a private hotel. He had sustained a single gunshot wound to the head, with a 9mm pistol found in his right hand and a spent casing recovered from the vehicle.
Sanghar SSP Abid Baloch told Dawn.com that the post-mortem was conducted at Sanghar Civil Hospital and police were awaiting the provisional report. “Apparently, there is a single bullet wound with an exit on the left side of the temple,” he said, adding that no conclusions were being drawn yet.
CCTV footage and witness accounts
Police obtained CCTV footage from the hotel where Hussain had parked. The footage shows him entering the restaurant, asking for the washroom, and returning to his car without placing any order.
A guard later noticed him sitting motionless in the vehicle and informed the restaurant manager. When two waiters checked, they found blood oozing from his temple.
Family and background
Hussain’s body was shifted to a cold storage facility at the Red Crescent Hospital in Latifabad until his parents, who recently moved to the United States, return to Pakistan. His burial will be held in Sanghar, the family’s ancestral home.
Police said the journalist had not informed relatives or friends in Sanghar of his arrival. His sister told investigators he had celebrated Eidul Azha with her after their parents relocated abroad in May.
Professional career
Hussain had worked as a political reporter for over a decade, previously associated with Apna News and Aaj News before joining DawnNews. He was also an active member of the Karachi Press Club, which has announced a three-day mourning period and demanded an impartial investigation.
Investigations and reactions
DIG Faisal Bashir said call data records were being retrieved and reviewed. He stressed that the investigation would consider all possibilities.
The Sindh Commission for the Protection of Journalists and Other Media Practitioners (SCPJMP) has sought a detailed police report, asking the Sanghar SSP to provide findings and actions taken so far.
Freedom Network Executive Director and Reporters Without Borders’ Pakistan representative Iqbal Khattak said the motive behind Hussain’s killing must be determined. “Sindh remains critical for the safety of journalists despite having a special law for their protection. The commission under this law should take the lead,” he noted.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has also taken notice and directed police to assign the case to a senior officer.
Political leaders including Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Sharjeel Inam Memon, Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjar, Kamran Tessori, Nasir Hussain Shah, Murtaza Wahab, and Shazia Marri expressed grief, calling Hussain’s death a tragic loss for journalism.
