Journalist's son remanded to police for two days in wife's murder case

Warrants issued for senior journalist Ayaz Amir, wife, brother and sister-in-law

ISLAMABAD:

Shahnawaz Amir, prime accused in the murder case of his wife Sara Bibi, was handed over to the police on Saturday on a two-day physical remand a day after being arrested for the murder.

A district and sessions court in Islamabad also issued arrest warrants the accused's father, prominent journalist Ayaz Amir, his wife, brother and sister-in-law.

The defendant’s lawyer termed the case a "blind murder", adding that the murder was only to the extent of the charge, adding that this was the first remand in the case hence, there were no objections.

The police had initially requested a 10-day physical remand from the court, stating that the accused had to be interrogated, adding that he had called his Canadian-Pakistani wife from abroad and then murdered her.

However, the court only approved a two-day remand for the accused.

Moreover, a request to issue arrest warrants for the accused’s parents, uncle and aunt was also put forward before the court, which the court granted.

Read Senior journalist’s son arrested for allegedly killing wife

The investigating officer also stated that the accused’s fingerprints were also to be taken, but the court rejected the appeal, saying the print could be acquired through the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA).

The renowned journalist’s daughter-in-law was allegedly murdered in Islamabad's Chak Shehzad suburb on Friday.

The 37-year-old was living at a farmhouse in the area where she was found dead on Friday morning. She was reportedly murdered with a dumbbell.

Police and investigation teams reached the crime scene and the journalist's son was arrested after earlier fleeing from the crime scene. However, the police have said that the FIR will be registered after an investigation has been conducted.

Ayaz Amir, talking to the media later in the day, expressed his shock and pain over the news.

“I would wish this upon no one,” he said. “When I got the news...what can I say?” he added. “It is something that shakes you to the bones,” he confessed. However, Amir declined to reveal further details about the incident, saying they were “legal matters”.