A Karachi-based Dawn News reporter, Khawar Hussain, was discovered lifeless in his vehicle on August 16, 2025, with a gunshot wound to the head. The car was parked outside a restaurant on Hyderabad Road, Sanghar. Police confirmed a 9mm pistol was recovered and said they are probing the mysterious death from “all possible angles.”
Police confirm probe into mysterious death
Sanghar Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Abid Baloch told reporters that a postmortem examination at Civil Hospital Sanghar confirmed a single bullet wound, with an exit on the left side of the temple.
“One bullet casing was recovered from the car. We are not drawing any conclusions yet and are investigating from all possible angles,” SSP Baloch said.
CCTV footage shows Hussain entering a restaurant washroom shortly before returning to his car. Later, staff noticed him motionless, with blood on his temple and a pistol in his right hand. Witnesses told police no sound of gunfire was heard, and there was no visible commotion around the vehicle.
Body kept in Hyderabad, burial planned in Sanghar
Police said Hussain’s body was shifted to the Red Crescent Hospital in Latifabad, where it is being held until his parents arrive from the United States on Monday morning. The body will then be transported to Sanghar for burial in his ancestral home.
His sister told investigators that he had spent Eidul Azha with her in Karachi, but had not informed family or friends of his sudden visit to Sanghar on Saturday.
Sindh officials express sorrow
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has directed the Inspector General of Police to submit a detailed report. Senior police officers have been assigned to the case.
Mayor of Sukkur, Barrister Arsalan Islam Shaikh, who also serves as Sindh Government spokesperson, described Hussain as “a close friend and a professional journalist who served with honesty and responsibility.” He added: “This is a personal loss for me, and the void will not be filled for a long time.”
PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari called Hussain’s death “a shock to the media fraternity,” while Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon and Home Minister Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjar termed the incident an “irreparable loss.”
Journalist bodies demand impartial investigation
The Karachi Press Club announced a three-day mourning period and demanded an independent probe. The Sindh Commission for the Protection of Journalists and Other Media Practitioners (SCPJMP) formally requested Sanghar police to submit a detailed investigation report.
Iqbal Khattak of Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said:
“Sindh remains critical for journalist safety despite a special law for their protection. It is vital that investigators establish whether this death was linked to Hussain’s professional work.”
Career and contributions
Hussain had been a political reporter for more than a decade, having worked with Apna News and Aaj News before joining Dawn News TV. Colleagues remembered him as a committed professional with deep roots in Sindh’s political reporting.
Timeline of key developments
- Aug 16, 2025: Hussain’s body found in a car on Hyderabad Road, Sanghar
- Aug 16 night: Postmortem conducted at Civil Hospital Sanghar
- Aug 17: Police confirm probe “from all possible angles”
- Aug 17: Sindh CM seeks detailed report; Karachi Press Club declares mourning
- Aug 18 (expected): Parents to arrive from US; burial to take place in Sanghar
What’s next
Police are awaiting call data records (CDR) and further forensic analysis. Senior officials say preliminary findings will be shared within the week.
The case has intensified concerns over journalist safety in Sindh, with renewed calls for full enforcement of the Sindh journalist protection law.
