Key witness in Pak activist murder case shot dead

A Pakistani police constable, who was a key witness in the murder case of a prominent human rights activist, was shot dead here tonight.
Sabeen Mahmud, a prominent human rights activist who ran a social forum in the Defence Society, was killed in April 2015 while returning with her mother from an open discussion on the human rights and missing persons cases in Baluchistan province.
Police are yet to arrest the unidentified killers who shot her dead in her vehicle close to her social forum known as T2.
Police constable Ghulam Abbas who used to work as a part-time driver for Sabeen and was a key witness to the killing of the social activist was gunned down in Korangi area of the city tonight by masked men on a motorcycle, police said.

Abbas was a very important witness in the case and his murder highlighted the need for protecting the remaining witnesses, said Raja Umar Khattab, a senior official with the Counter-Terrorism Department.
He said that Abbas was gunned down in a clear case of target killing while he was returning home after offering prayers.
Abbas was sitting on the rear seat of the car when Sabeen was attacked as she was driving herself and he had identified a key accused before a magistrate recently.