Dua Mangi case: Fugitive accused Zohaib Qureshi arrested

KARACHI, June 7,2022- Zohaib Qureshi, a fugitive accused in Dua Mangi case, was arrested from Kashmore after a police encounter.

Police officials said that the accused Zohaib Qureshi had fled from Balochistan by stealing a car.

Police cordoned off the area and stood on the main highway when the accused opened fire on the police. After exchange of firing, the accused was arrested, who also sustained injuries.

18 cases of car theft have been registered against the accused Zohaib Qureshi. Further criminal record of the accused is being checked by the police.

The accused Zohaib Qureshi had escaped from a shopping mall in Tariq Road on his way back to jail after appearing in court.

It should be noted that Dua Mangi was abducted on November 30, 2019 from Defense, Karachi.

Zohaib Qureshi main accused in Dua Mangi case flees from country, agencies doubt

Background of the case

Accused Zohaib Qureshi and his accomplices Muhammad Tariq alias Shakeel, Muzaffar Ali, Wasim Raja and Fayyaz Solangi were indicted in the last hearing of the kidnapping case of Dua Mangi in the Special Anti-Terrorism Court in Karachi and the main accused Agha Mansoor was declared a fugitive.

In the last week of January, the accused in the high profile case and the main accused in the Dua Mangi case Zohaib Qureshi escaped as police could not guard.

According to reports, the court police took Zohaib Qureshi from jail to appear before the court but the accused Zohaib Qureshi did not reach the jail. When the prisoners were counted, the matter was disclosed.

Two policemen have been taken into custody and a case was registered at Ferozeabad police station.

Dua Mangi was abducted outside a restaurant from Defense on November 30, 2019 and was released after paying a ransom of Rs 2 to 2.5 milion.

Dua Mangi was a law student, and the niece of the Sindhi poet and columnist Aijaz Mangi. Officials used CCTV footage to attempt to identify the attackers, and have impounded the car they believe to be a part of the crime.

A protest was staged at the city’s Teen Talwar roundabout demanding her safe recovery.

The accused in the high profile case were arrested on March 18 by a special team of Karachi police.

Media reports said that Dua Mangi has identified three suspects as her kidnappers during a hearing at an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in October 2021. The five accused — Fayaz Solangi, Zohaib Qureshi, Waseem Raja, Muzaffar Ali, and Tariq – detained for allegedly kidnapping her and injuring Dua’s friend, were produced in court.

The victim Dua Mangi testified that she could identify only Qureshi, Ali, and Raja and not the rest of the suspects.

The investigation revealed that the same accused had also abducted a girl named Bisma Saleem from Defense area for ransom and released her after paying the ransom.

Both the cases are pending in the anti-terrorism court.