Murder of Justice Iqbal’s parents: Police suggest incident was not a robbery

Investigators refuse to share clues, citing sensitivity.

LAHORE: The police, so far, have no clue to the killers of Justice Javed Iqbal’s parents who were found dead under mysterious circumstances in their house at Cavalry Ground, a well-protected neighbourhood in Lahore.

Initial autopsy report of the deceased has confirmed torture marks on their bodies. According to the report, the deceased Abdul Hameed’s lower lip was injured while his wife, Amna Bibi, had a few broken ribs and injury marks on her chest.

The report said the elderly couple died of suffocation between 4 pm to 5 pm on Tuesday. The final report would be released by the chemical examiner after 15 days.

Meanwhile, a team led by forensic expert Nayar Mahmood collected samples of fingerprints from the crime scene.

Punjab Inspector General of Police Javed Iqbal said the fingerprints would help them reach the culprits, adding that they were also conducting DNA tests of the suspects in custody.

An FIR was registered against unidentified men under section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code at the Factory Area police station, on the complaint of Col (retd) Saeed, brother of Justice Iqbal.

According to initial investigations, it appears there were around three assailants who entered the house smoothly as there were no signs of forced entry and all the doors of the house were intact, ASP Maroof Wahla told The Express Tribune, adding that two of Hameed’s tenants said a small door to the house usually remained open.

While it’s not an incident of robbery, the assailants tried to make it appear as one by spreading around household items, said ASP Wahla. While it is alleged in the FIR that the assailants removed two gold bangles from Amna’s hand, no valuables in the house are missing and two gold rings were intact on Amna’s fingers, he added.

While talking to The Express Tribune, Justice Iqbal said he has no suspicion on anyone targeting his parents and hopes that the investigations would be thorough.

His parents’ funeral was attended by politicians, lawyers and judges, including Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Chief Justice Lahore High Court Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry and Governor-designate Sardar Latif Khan Khosa. The bodies were taken to Fardoos Market Graveyard for burial.

Lawyers boycotted courts across Lahore on Wednesday in protest while the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) condemned the killing as “absolutely unconscionable” in a statement issued on Wednesday.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 13^th, 2011.