September 18, 2007	Tuesday	Ramazan 05, 1428

ISLAMABAD, Sept 17: The son of a pastor who along with his wife was shot dead here last month has said the murder of his parents was premeditated.

Pastor Arif Khan and his wife Kathleen were killed in their I- 8/3 house on August 29. Police say a former church member, Honey Havaid, his wife Fauzia Havaid and their family friend Syed Alam came to the pastor’s residence to settle some issue and allegedly killed the couple.

Issuing a statement from New Jersey where he lives, Shehbaz Khan, the pastor’s son, has for the first time given the family version on the incident.

He said deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Jamil Hashmi in a telephonic conversation told him that the police had not yet been able to determine the motive behind the murder.

“As often happens when murderers try to justify their crimes, they make false allegations in an effort to mislead the police and turn attention away from them,” he said.

He said the alleged killers - Honey Havaid and Fauzia Havaid - had fabricated allegations against his parents, but the DSP had confirmed that the police had not found evidence to support the allegations of any immoral act against his parents.

He claimed that the investigators had received undeniable confirmation of his father’s integrity.

Mr Khan said he and his American and Pakistani legal team were working with the US embassy in Islamabad as well as officials in Washington DC and the Islamabad police. “Through the proper legal channels we are pursuing the maximum penalty the law allows for this horrific crime.”

He said his parents worked faithfully and diligently for the small Christian church in Rawalpindi. They also initiated and conducted numerous humanitarian works throughout the country for over 11 years.

Meanwhile, sources in the police said the investigating team have conducted raids in Dera Ismail Khan to arrest Syed Alam but without a success.

The two accused in the double murder case are in the Adiala jail on judicial remand.