The Republic of Cyprus’ police has requested that the Turkish Cypriot authorities hand over four people named as suspects in the case surrounding the death of 24-year-old Pakistani national Shoaib Khan, according to reports on Saturday.

The Cyprus News Agency (CNA) reported that “informed sources” said it is currently “unclear” as to whether the Turkish Cypriot authorities will satisfy the request.

The four people who the Republic have requested be handed over are 62-year-old Halil Alaslan, 31-year-old Coskun Alaslan, 22-year-old Atilla Alaslan, and a fourth individual who was arrested by the Turkish Cypriot police while trying to leave the island from the Kyrenia port on Wednesday.

The fourth individual was not initially named as a suspect by the Republic’s police, but, according to CNA, “has been of concern” to the Republic’s police in the past.

Related Articles

At his latest hearing in court on Friday, a Turkish Cypriot police representative had said his car had been found with a bullet hole in it, and had been repainted after the incident, with the paint job having been carried out with the intention of covering the bullet hole. He was remanded in custody for six days.

Meanwhile, both Halil Alaslan and Coskun Alaslan have publicly denied all wrongdoing, speaking to the media on Wednesday.

“I do not know the Pakistani national who was killed. We have been in pain all day. Do I control a Louroujina crossing point? How do I know who is coming in and going out of the village? I am staying in the village of Mora anyway,” Coskun Alaslan said. Louroujina is a Turkish Cypriot village located in the north next to Potamia.

He had also alleged ulterior motives on the part of the Republic’s police, saying they had personally targeted him due to an incident which had occurred in 2012, wherein Greek Cypriot policemen had crossed the Green Line into Louroujina to chase him but were themselves arrested by the Turkish Cypriot police.

In that incident, three Greek Cypriot officers had given chase Alaslan, then 19, after he had allegedly failed to stop when requested. He drove into Louroujina and was pursued by them to his house, before the Turkish Cypriot police became aware of the situation and arrested their counterparts.

He was also arrested by the Turkish Cypriot police in 2020 after attempting to smuggle four Nigerian nationals to the Republic in the back of his van.

Shoaib Khan was found dead in the Nicosia suburb of Strovolos on January 6, but was among a group of third-country nationals attempting to cross the buffer zone in the village of Potamia during an incident in which police said they fired four shots at two vehicles.

It is now believed that more than four shots were fired during the incident.

The Turkish Cypriot authorities had found that Khan had entered the north on November 29, 2021, on a 60-day tourist visa, and had never left through any of the north’s regulated ports of entry.

A 39-year-old man, who police believe transported Khan from Potamia to Strovolos, where he was later found dead, was arrested on Wednesday and remanded in custody for eight days on Thursday.

He reportedly confessed to having taken Khan to Strovolos. After his arrest, he was escorted by police back to Potamia to point out his precise movements there.