Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) operations Islamabad Faisal Raja replaced Superintendent of Police (SP) Investigation Gulfam Nasir as head of the joint investigation team (JIT) formed to probe the abduction and murder of SP Tahir Khan Dawar, DawnNewsTV reported on Tuesday.

Nasir is still a member of the investigation team, while DIG operations has been added to the JIT as its chairman.

A notice issued by Islamabad chief commissioner's office today said that the JIT had been "reconstituted". The team now comprises the following members:

• DIG operations, Islamabad (chairman)

• SP investigation, Islamabad

• Sub-divisional police officer, Shalimar, Islamabad

• Deputy superintendent of police Crime Investigation Department, Islamabad

• A representative of the Inter-Services Intelligence

• A representative of the Military Intelligence

• A representative of the Intelligence Bureau

• Investigating officer of the case

Islamabad chief commissioner had formed the JIT on Nov 16. The notification released today did not specify the reason for the change of the investigation team's head.

The JIT shall complete its investigation within the time period stipulated in the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997, the notification said.

SP Dawar's disappearance, murder

SP Dawar, chief of Peshawar police’s rural circle, was kidnapped in the G-10/4 area of Islamabad on October 26. On Nov 13, his body was found in a remote area of the Afghan province of Nangarhar.

Following a two-day delay and hours-long negotiations on Thursday, the Afghan side had reluctantly handed over the body of the officer of Peshawar police to his family. The issue of handing over of the body of SP Dawar flared up a diplomatic row as government officials accused the Afghan side of playing politics over a body and delaying its handover.