Gang behind trader's killing busted

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad Police claimed on Tuesday to have arrested the murderer, an alleged robber, of a prominent businessman.

Prominent Islamabad businessman Aamir Safdar Awan was murdered during a robbery at his farmhouse in the Orchard Scheme on March 29, 2026.

The arrested killer is part of the Mansoor Khan gang. Two Afghans were also among the gang members.

Addressing a press conference alongside Islamabad Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ali Nasir Rizvi and other police officials, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry said the federal police deserve congratulations for apprehending the gang responsible for the murder.

He added that Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had made fundamental decisions regarding law and order in Islamabad. Previously, Safe City systems covered only a quarter of the city, and the Islamabad Police faced resource constraints. The Safe City project is expected to be fully operational this year, with the forensic lab nearing completion.

Commenting on the recent incident in Islamabad, Chaudhry said that the perpetrators were traced with the help of Safe City, M-Tag, and advanced technology.

The Mansoor Khan gang was involved in the killing and is also notorious for its use of bulletproof jackets.

The Islamabad IGP and his team arrested the suspects in less than 24 hours.

Cases including the Sana Yusuf murder, Hamza murder, and the killing of a foreign woman were also traced within hours. All suspects involved in high-profile cases in Islamabad have been apprehended. Compared to last year, crime rates in the capital have significantly declined.

In the Aamir Awan murder case, the suspects were arrested from areas between Karachi and Khyber.

The Islamabad Police were commended by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi. The arrested suspects include Afghan nationals, and they will be brought to justice.

IGP Rizvi said that, with the assistance of Safe City and advanced technology, five suspects of the Mansoor Khan gang involved in the murder of prominent businessman Aamir Awan were arrested in less than 24 hours. The suspects included two Afghan nationals.

For the first time, artificial intelligence was used in the investigation.

The Mansoor Khan gang, active across provincial borders, had been involved in crimes in Rawalpindi, Islamabad, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Seventeen teams were formed for the investigation, employing geo-fencing, CCTV, and AI technologies. The investigation involved questioning 93 individuals and raiding 31 locations.

The gang was ultimately apprehended in raids conducted in Charsadda and Mardan.

Two cops booked in bribery scam

On the other hand, an anti-corruption case has been registered against two Assistant Sub-Inspectors (ASIs) of the R A Bazaar Police Station for allegedly extorting Rs500,000 from a citizen by misusing the name of the Crime Control Department (CCD).

According to the First Information Report (FIR) lodged at the Anti-Corruption Police Station, complainant Nasir Mahmood stated that ASI Hafeez, posted at the Shah Faisal police post under R A Bazaar, initially nominated his uncle, Manzoor Ahmed, in a case and later invoked the name of the CCD to issue threats. He allegedly warned that failure to pay Rs500,000 would result in action by the CCD, prompting the complainant to pay the bribe. Despite receiving the amount, the ASIs reportedly didn't remove the uncle's name from the FIR and subsequently demanded an additional Rs3 million.

Following the citizen's complaint, the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) conducted an inquiry and registered a case.

According to officials, a case (No 2/26) has been lodged under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Both ASIs, identified as Hafeez and Intizar, have been suspended from service pending further investigation.