Gadani’s mother, fearing for the safety of her other son, Yaqoob, does not want him to become the complainant and has instead volunteered herself. But Yaqoob and other family members are of the opinion that he should lead the case complaint.
On May 21st, Gadani in Ghotki’s Mirpur Mathelo was attacked by three assailants on a motorbike. The victim was first transported to a hospital in Rahim Yar Khan before being airlifted to Karachi, where he succumbed to his injuries at a private healthcare facility on May 24.
In the days prior to the assault, the armed guards of the son of a tribal chief of Mirpur Mathelo had fired shots at the journalist as he recorded a video of their convoy and criticized the VIP culture of Sindhi feudals.
In the aftermath of Gadani’s murder, the Commission for the Protection of Journalists and other Media Practitioners (CJMP) has rejected the initial investigation team, urging the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to reform it due to various concerns.
Gadani, known for his extremely critical stance against the corruption of the political leadership and local administration, including the police, was a vocal figure in the community.
His criticism previously led to an FIR being filed against him by the Ghotki administration in 2022, following his report on the expulsion of flood-affected Hindus from relief camps. Local feudals, administrative and political leadership were resentful of him because of his work.
At the same time, the Sukkur police has failed to make any arrests to date regarding the murder of senior journalist Jan Muhammad Mahar, who was shot dead in Sukkur last year.
Therefore, the CJMP has requested that no officers from the Sukkur and Ghotki areas be included in the new investigation team for a more impartial and concrete investigation.
Despite the Ghotki police detaining local suspects for questioning, no attackers have been identified, leaving Gadani’s murder unsolved and raising concerns about the effectiveness and impartiality of the ongoing investigation.
The passing of Nasrullah Gadani has ignited fury among journalists and human rights groups throughout the Sindh province. The National Trade Union Federation (NTUF), the Home-Based Women Workers Federation (HBWWF), along with various social, political, and human rights organizations, came together for a protest in front of the Karachi Press Club on Sunday. Their collective condemnation extended not only to Nasrullah Gadani’s tragic demise but also to what they termed as “the atrocities perpetrated by tribal chiefs and feudal lords.”