KARACHI: Jan 26: Although it has been almost a month since the killing of a professor of the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, police are still clueless not only about the killers but also about their possible motive, it emerged on Tuesday.

Prof Saleem Ahmed Kharal, a microbiologist who headed the Basic Medical Sciences Institute at the JPMC, was shot dead on
Dec 30 near the Submarine traffic intersection in Defence Housing Authority when he was driving his Toyota Corolla car along with his wife and driver.

Background interviews with some family members of the victim revealed that the man who had killed the professor neither demanded any valuables nor did he ask for the car.

Following the killing, police had described the incident as a car snatching attempt.

When contacted, the investigation officer of the case, Inspector Muhammad Islam, admitted that no real progress had so far been made and police were still looking for the culprits involved in what he described as a ‘blind case’.

Family sources told Dawn that contrary to the initial reports that the man who killed Dr Kharal escaped on a motorbike, he actually escaped in a car.

“An armed man put a pistol to Prof Kharal’s chest but didn’t demand anything…he opened fire when the doctor resisted,” said SSP Sharjil Kharal, a nephew of the victim, quoting the statement of the victim’s driver.

SSP Kharal added that the victim’s family also saw the killer, who after firing shots walked towards the waiting car that then sped away.

“What we expect from the police is that they focus not only on the street crime angle but also take into account other probable motives like targeted killing or some enmity,” said another member of the victim’s family.

Four spent bullet casings of a 9mm pistol and one casing of .30-bore pistol were found at the crime-scene.

“A forensic examination of the casings with the available data bank was conducted but no match was found,” said a police officer associated with the investigation of the murder case.

With the assistance of the witnesses, the sketch of a killer was prepared and the provincial home department notified a reward of Rs500,000 for anyone who might provide information leading to the arrest of the criminals involved.

Statements of the witnesses were also recorded.

Family members recalled that the slain doctor played a prominent role in pursuing the 2009 murder case of a young JPMC doctor who had been killed while drawing cash from an ATM outside the JPMC.Dawn.