Funeral prayers held in Barcelona for businessman Muhammad Nauman Qaiser

BARCELONA: Funeral prayers were offered in Barcelona for businessman and community figure Muhammad Nauman Qaiser, whose family says he was killed in a police encounter in Punjab.

According to family members, hundreds of Pakistanis from different parts of Spain gathered at a local mosque to attend the funeral prayers. Qaiser, described as a well-known businessman in the local Pakistani community, was killed on March 11 in Sindh’s Aboro area near Sukkur.

Among those present at the funeral was Moonis Elahi, the former federal minister and PTI leader who is currently living abroad. Qaiser’s brothers, Imran Muhammad Fardous and Furqan Muhammad Fardous, were identified as prominent businessmen and figures within the Pakistani community in Spain.

Family alleges repeated false cases

The family said Qaiser had been facing what they called a prolonged series of false and politically motivated cases in Pakistan, despite what they described as his honourable acquittal by courts in Spain. They said a case under Section 109 had been registered against him in Pakistan even though Spanish courts had cleared him after Pakistani authorities approached the Spanish government over the matter.

According to the family, Qaiser returned to Pakistan after obtaining protective bail so he could establish his innocence in the murder case of his former brother-in-law, who had been shot dead in Lahore by gunmen. They said he was arrested despite having secured bail.

The family further said that after eight months he obtained bail, but was taken into custody again from court premises in what they described as a fabricated case under Article 440. They said he was later acquitted in that matter as well, but was then nominated in another case under Section 506.

They said the Lahore High Court took notice of the issue and directed police not to register false cases against him or arrest him. The court also sought details of all cases in which the Crime Control Department (CCD) Punjab said he was wanted.

According to the family, police, the CCD and other institutions submitted records before the court and stated that Qaiser was neither wanted nor involved in any case. He was then released from jail, and the authorities assured the court that he would not be implicated or arrested in any matter.

Fresh arrest and court proceedings

The family said that on February 1, 2026, Qaiser was again taken into custody after returning from court. They said that after a fresh petition was filed in the high court, the court expressed strong displeasure and issued notices to police officials.

It then emerged, according to the family, that Qaiser had been implicated in several additional cases, including two murder cases under Section 302 and a theft case under Section 395 registered on January 16. In one of the murder cases, they said, he was in Spain when the FIR was registered, while in the other case from Mandi Bahauddin he was already in jail. The court, they said, observed that no case had existed against Qaiser until February 20 and questioned how multiple cases had surfaced suddenly.

The family said Qaiser’s lawyer repeatedly warned the court that his client could be killed extrajudicially. They added that the court issued strict directions to all institutions not to proceed against him unlawfully and to ensure his protection.

According to the family, Qaiser was killed on February 11 in what they described as a staged police encounter allegedly carried out by the CCD.

CCD denies involvement

CCD Punjab has denied any role in Qaiser’s death. The department said it did not conduct any operation linked to his killing and had no connection with the incident.

The CCD said it had previously investigated Qaiser in connection with the murder of his brother-in-law, which it said had been planned from Dubai, and had examined his alleged role in that case. However, the department said Qaiser had obtained bail in that matter and was no longer wanted by the CCD. Another separate case against him existed with the Punjab Police.

"My brother was assassinated in broad daylight in complete violation of the laws. We brought his dead body to Spain for burial after failing to get justice. Our lives are shattered. The Punjab authorities lied that he was killed in Aboro when he refused to stop his bike and opened fire on the police. We have evidence that he was killed locally in Punjab and was not fleeing. This was a murder foretold. We did everything in order to ensure that justice is done but we failed. However, the fight for justice will continue at the international level for my martyred brother," said Imran Muhammad Fardous, Qaiser’s brother.