Suspects in Sidra's case granted four-day remand

Duty Civil Judge Shama Yasin has granted a further four-day physical remand of the six suspects arrested in the murder case of 17-year-old Sidra Bibi, who was suffocated to death in the name of "honour" in Fauji Colony on the orders of a local jirga.

Those remanded include Sidra's father, brother, husband, father-in-law, and the head of the jirga who allegedly issued the death order. The judge has directed the police to complete the investigation and present the suspects again on Saturday, August 9, while clarifying that no further remand will be granted.

The investigation team has so far failed to recover the murder weapon. Moreover, their attempt to turn the arrested rickshaw driver, Khayal Muhammad, into an approver (state witness) also failed.

Khayal Muhammad had initially agreed to turn approver, but the judge rejected the request on technical grounds, stating that if the rickshaw driver wanted to confess to his crime, he could do so, but he could not testify against other accused. As a result, the effort to secure an approver collapsed.

Similarly, the deceased's second husband, Usman, and other absconding suspects named in the case have also rejected police offers to become approvers.

During Tuesday's hearing, the investigation officer, Sub-Inspector Shabbir, along with the prosecutor, argued that they needed to recover the murder weapon and the loader rickshaw used to transport the body. They said the suspects were refusing to cooperate, hence a five-day remand was sought.

Defence lawyer Advocate Malik Jawad Khalid argued that the pillow and loader were already in police custody from day one. He further said that if the court still accepts the argument, then only the physical remand of the victim's husband Ziaur Rehman and loader owner Mani Gul should be granted, and the other four, jirga head Ismatullah, brother Zafar Khan, father-in-law Saleem Gul, and father Arab Gul, should be sent to Adiala Jail on judicial remand.

After hearing the arguments, the judge reserved the verdict and later granted a four-day physical remand for all six arrested suspects.