KARACHI: A judicial magistrate recorded on Tuesday the confessional statement of a suspect in a case pertaining to the murder of his teenage sister.

Hayat Khan with his father, Inayat Khan, has been booked for allegedly stabbing his 18-year-old sister Sumaira to death since she was reportedly talking to a youngster on the doorstep of their home in Orangi Town’s Fareed Colony on April 28.

A judicial magistrate (west) recorded the confessional statement of Hayat under Section 164 of the criminal procedure code.

The suspect confessed to have killed his sister because he saw her talking to a youngster who ran away when he arrived there. He said he had repeatedly asked his sister not to go at the door, but she did not listen to him.

Initially, the police had produced the main suspect before a judicial magistrate and obtained his remand. Later, a relevant section of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 was incorporated in the case since the police claimed that the crime had created a sense of insecurity and terror among people. They also arrested the suspect’s father, Inayat, for alleged instigation. The police got their remand from the administrative judge of the antiterrorism courts till May 18.

According to the investigation officer, the victim after being wounded begged her brother to take her to a hospital, but he refused. Neighbours caught him when he was trying to escape and informed the police about the incident.

The girl was taken to a hospital, where she died, the police added.

In a video made by someone using his cellphone, the girl was seen lying at the doorstep writhing with pain while his brother was sitting beside her surrounded by people.

A case was registered at the Mominabad police station on behalf of the state since the victim’s father had refused to lodge an FIR against his son.

Television journalist’s murder case

An antiterrorism court directed the police to initiate the proceedings of proclamation and attachment of property against absconders in a case pertaining to the murder of a television journalist.

Syed Zeeshan Haider with his two absconding accomplices has been booked for allegedly killing TV journalist Aftab Alam outside his home in II-C Area of North Karachi in September last year.

The police had shown Adil Raza and Salman Raza as absconders in the charge-sheet.

The court had time and again issued non-bailable warrants for the arrest of the absconders. However, the investigation officer submitted a report in court that the warrants could not be executed since the suspects went into hiding.

The ATC-I judge, Bashir Ahmed Khoso, directed the IO to initiate the proceedings against the absconding accused under Sections 87 (proclamation for persons absconding) and 88 (attachment of property of person absconding) of the criminal procedure code and submit a report on the next hearing.

A case was registered under Sections 302 (premeditated murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 at the Sir Syed police station.

The Counter Terrorism Department of police claimed to have arrested the suspect a couple of weeks after the incident and said that he was associated with a banned militants outfit, Sipah-i-Muhammad Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, May 18th, 2016