A model criminal court in Dadu delivered its verdict on Monday in the widely followed Mehar triple murder case, acquitting all eight individuals charged with the killing of Umme Rubab Chandio’s family. This decision concludes an extensive legal process spanning eight years.
Among those cleared of charges were prominent Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) figures Sardar Ahmed Chandio and his brother Burhan Khan Chandio. The acquitted also included former SHO Karim Chandio, along with Sattar Chandio, Ali Gohar Chandio, Murtaza Chandio, Sikandar Chandio, and Zulfiqar Chandio. The court premises were secured with heightened security measures during the announcement of the verdict.
The tragic event occurred on January 17, 2018, in Mehar, Sindh, when armed assailants stormed a residence and fatally shot three family members of Umme Rubab Chandio. The victims were Raees Karamullah Chandio, who served as chairman of the Baldia Union Council in Mehar taluka, and his two sons: Mukhtiar Chandio, a district council member, and another son affiliated with the Tumandar Council.
The family alleged that the attack was orchestrated by Sardar Ahmed Chandio, a tribal leader in Mehar, and his younger brother Burhan Chandio, who was then an aide to the Sindh chief minister. Despite reportedly facing death threats, Umme Rubab Chandio persistently pursued justice for her murdered relatives.
The case drew significant national attention in 2021 after a video circulated on social media showing a barefoot Umme Rubab leaving a courtroom. At that time, she publicly accused the Sindh government of shielding those responsible for the killings, intensifying public scrutiny of the case.
