Shahnawaz Amir remanded to police for three more days

Court told passport of deceased yet to be recovered; bail of accused's mother extended till October 7

ISLAMABAD:

A court in Islamabad extended on Monday the physical remand of the main suspect in the Sara Inam murder case, Shahnawaz Amir, for three more days.

The case was taken up today by senior civil judge Amir Aziz. During the hearing, the investigation officer (IO) told the court that the passport of the deceased was yet to be recovered.

He further told the court that the passport would prove useful in finding out the victim's travel history, among other important facts.

Read Ayaz Amir remanded in daughter-in-law's murder case

Furthermore, the counsel for the victim told the court that the victim was killed in Shahnawaz's house, adding that the accused would be free if Sara’s passport was not recovered within 14 days.

As the judge approved the police and prosecution's request seeking a three-day physical remand of the accused, he warned the investigators to ensure the investigation does not spoil the case.

Shahnawaz was arrested last month for allegedly killing his wife, a Canadian national, at a farmhouse located in Chak Shahzad where the suspect lived along with his mother.

Mother's bail extended

In a separate development, the bail of Samina Shah, mother of the prime suspect in the Sara Inam murder case, was extended till October 7.

District and Sessions Court Judge Sheikh Sohail heard the bail application, where the primary suspect’s mother appeared before the court along with her lawyer.

On behalf of the victim’s father, Engineer Inam-ur-Rahim, his lawyer took the stand and told the court that Sara's family did not want to involve any innocent person in the case.

The lawyer requested the court to give the accused’s family more time to present whoever they want in their defense.

The court adjourned further hearing of the case till October 7.

Last week, a local court had extended the interim bail of Samina till October 3 (today).

During the hearing of the bail application before the court of Islamabad, the court inquired the applicant’s counsel whether the accused was unaware about the presence of the girl at the farmhouse.

“Why did Samina Shah not inform the police directly? She has been residing in the farmhouse for the last 40 years and she also knew about the presence of a girl there,” the court remarked and observed that she spoke to her ex-husband Ayaz Amir yet he did not mention it.

The applicant’s counsel adopted the stance that the police were ‘timely’ informed.

The murder

The Islamabad police arrested the son of senior journalist Ayaz Amir, on September 23, on charges of killing his wife.

Ayaz Amir’s daughter-in-law, Sara Bibi, 37, was allegedly murdered at her farmhouse in Islamabad's Chak Shehzad suburb, police said, adding that the victim’s husband Shahnawaz Amir had been detained as the prime suspect for investigation.

Read more Sara murder: Samina’s interim bail extended till tomorrow

Sources told The Express Tribune that Sara, a Canadian citizen and the accused's third wife, had reached Pakistan from Dubai a day earlier.

According to sources, Sara and Shahnawaz had an altercation over a domestic issue that led to the accused hitting her on the head with an iron dumbbell.

According to the sources, after killing his wife the accused put her body in a bathtub. The police later arrested the accused and took him to Shahzad Town Police Station for further investigation.