Suspect's father alleges torture

The family of Zeeshan Arshad, a domestic worker arrested in the Hina Javed murder case, came forward, with his father alleging that his son was forced at gunpoint to restrain the victim and was subsequently tortured in custody to make him confess to the crime.

Muhammad Arshad said he had met his son twice in jail. According to him, Zeeshan recounted that an argument broke out between Hina and her husband, Faisal Asghar, on the night of August 20, waking him from sleep.

The father alleged that Hina was running ahead while Faisal chased her. Faisal allegedly ordered Zeeshan to catch her and, when he refused to intervene in the couple's dispute, beat him and forced him at gunpoint to comply.

Muhammad Arshad further alleged, attributing the account to his son, that Faisal had murdered Hina and hanged her body in the bathroom. He claimed that the entire blame had been shifted onto Zeeshan in an attempt to portray him as the prime suspect.

He said his son had worked at the victim's house for about seven months and regarded her as a mother. The family learnt of the murder 11 days after the incident, he added. Four days after the incident, a man named Tasawwur, who had arranged Zeeshan's employment, asked for his identity card, according to the father.

He rejected claims that his son had a criminal record, saying no case had been registered against the 18- or 19-year-old in any police station, including Miana Gondal police station in Mandi Bahauddin. Zeeshan's maternal uncle said he had arranged the job to help him earn a livelihood.

Meanwhile, a Rawalpindi police spokesperson said the murder took place on August 20 and that technical and forensic evidence had been collected from the outset.

A district-level special team was formed under the supervision of the Senior Superintendent of Police (Investigation), while the Punjab Inspector General of Police constituted another special investigation team headed by an officer of Additional Inspector General rank. The spokesperson said senior officers and experienced investigators had examined the case from all angles. Evidence collected from the crime scene by specialist teams from the Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA) was submitted for analysis.

The case was investigated in the light of DNA reports, polygraph test results and other material evidence received from the PFSA, the spokesperson said, adding that legal experts had also been consulted during the investigation and preparation of the case file.

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Hina's family seeks judicial probe

OUR CORRESPONDENT

RAWALPINDI. The family of Hina Javed, who was murdered in Rawalpindi, has once again expressed a lack of confidence in the police investigation and demanded the formation of a judicial commission to uncover all facts surrounding the case.

In response, Rawalpindi police issued a formal statement claiming that the investigation had been conducted under the supervision of senior officers, taking into account all technical, forensic and scientific evidence and that proceedings were being pursued on merit without any pressure or external influence.

The victim's family expressed serious reservations about the investigation during a press conference at the National Press Club in Islamabad, demanding a judicial commission to establish the complete facts of the case.

Following the press conference, a Rawalpindi police spokesperson said all necessary technical and forensic evidence had been collected from the first day of the incident, which occurred on August 20.

According to the spokesperson, a special team headed by the SSP (Investigation) was formed at the district level to investigate the murder. The Punjab inspector general of police also constituted a special investigation team led by an officer of additional inspector general rank.

The case was investigated by experienced officers under the direct supervision of senior officials, who examined the facts and evidence from various angles, the spokesperson said.

Expert teams from the Punjab Forensic Science Agency collected all necessary evidence from the crime scene and sent it for analysis.