ISLAMABAD: A judicial magistrate on Thursday handed over a serving army officer, who allegedly shot dead an Islamabad Electric Supply Company (Iesco) official, to the military police.

Major Raja Zahid allegedly killed Mehboob Ahmed, an assistant lineman at the Iesco, when the latter tried to disconnect power supply to his house due to the non-payment of dues.

Under the Pakistan Army Act, serving armed forces personnel can only be probed by the army’s investigation team for committing offences that fall under the ambit of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

According to the police, the army officer surrendered to the Sihala police and confessed to the crime and that he had dumped the body in Gujar Khan with the help of his cousin, Minhaj.

The civil judge/judicial magistrate sent the accomplice of the army officer to the Adiala Jail on judicial remand.

The accused told the police that the Iesco official came to his house in DHA Phase II to disconnect the power supply. The accused tried to stop the lineman from disconnecting the electricity connection and later shot him dead.

Read more: Army officer kills lineman

Published in Dawn, January 1st, 2016