Hindu Mpa-elect acquitted in murder of Sikh lawmaker in Pak

PESHAWAR (PAKISTAN): A Hindu member of the provincial assembly-elect in Khyber-pakhtunkhwa was on Thursday acquitted by a Pakistani anti-terrorism court in the murder case of a Sikh lawmaker — the then adviser to chief minister of the province.

Baldev Kumar of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-insaf (PTI) party was the prime suspect in the murder case of his own party lawmaker Sardar Soran Singh, who was shot dead in April 2016 in Buner district. Singh was elected to the provincial assembly on a minority seat.

Judge Jamaluddin acquitted Kumar along with six other accused, including Alam Khan and Feroz Khan, due to lack of evidence, a Pakistan daily reported.

The trial was conducted over two years.

Kumar was on the second spot on the priority list of the ruling party for the minority reserved seats. He was arrested when the police claimed that the motive for the murder was to take Singh’s position as an MPA.

After Singh’s murder, Kumar was declared Mpa-elect by the election commission of Pakistan. However, the Mpa-elect was in jail since 2016 with the seat lying vacant. Kumar was twice prevented from taking oath by members of his own party in the Khyber-pakhtunkhwa assembly.

THE ACCUSED HAD ALLEGEDLY DEMANDED ₹40 LAKH FROM A CONTRACTOR DURING A CASE INVESTIGATION