DADU: Dadu police on Thursday surrounded the residence of Pir Mazharul Haq, former senior Pakistan Peoples Party minister of education, when a man raised a hue and cry and told people that his brother was found killed inside.

Overwhelmed by shock and grief, Mohammed Sharif Joyo drew the neighbours` attention to the body of his brother, Ali Nawaz Joyo, an old employee of Pir Mazhar serving at the house as watchman, hanging from the ceiling in a room. The body was hooked to the ceiling fan.

The bungalow, known as Pir House had been left with domestic servants for a few months as Pir Mazhar had been out of the country for medical treatment and his son, MPA Pir Mujeebul Haq, living in Karachi with his family.

It was initially believed that Nawaz Joyo, the Pirs` trusted servant posted as watchman for about 25 years, had committed suicide but his brother insisted that he was poisoned to death before the body was hanged from the ceiling.

He did not name any suspect. Pir Mazhar told Dawn through an SMS that he was equally shocked.

Some relatives of the deceased took away the body from the local civil hospital before a post-mortem examination could be performed. However, police went to his native village near Sehwan Sharif and brought the body back to the hospital, insisting that the cause of death and other facts would have to be ascertained.

Dadu DSP Rasool Bukhsh Siyal along with A-Section SHO Akbar Chandio collected evidence from the crime scene and said they were investigating the case.