ISLAMABAD: A lower court on Tuesday discharged renowned senior journalist and former politician from the charge of abetment in the murder case of his daughter-in-law.

However, the court advised the police that he may be arrested again if any evidence was found against him, after taking permission from the court.

Law officer of the capital police Tahir Kazim appeared in the court of the senior civil judge and requested for five days’ physical remand of Mr Amir on the ground that parents of the deceased had arrived in Pakistan from abroad and could produce some evidence against him, the court order said. It said the main suspect, Shahnawaz, along with his wife Sarah Inam lived in the house of Mr Amir.

Besides, telephonic communication between Shahnawaz and Mr Amir had been detected on the date of the incident and further investigation over it was also required, he said.

The counsel appearing on behalf of Mr Amir, however, opposed further physical remand and said he was under arrest without any evidence on record and requested for his discharge from the case. He said in case the police find evidence against the suspect he could be re-arrested with permission from the court.

“Perusal of the record shows that the main accused (Shahnawaz Amir) allegedly involved in the commission of offence murder had already been arrested and body and the dumbbell used in commission of offence have already been recovered by the police; till to date the police could not collect any evidence against accused of his abetment in the crime. The accused is not nominated in FIR, but involved on the statement under section 161 CrPC. The accused was admittedly not present at the crime scene. Request of further remained is declined,” the court order said.

Shahnawaz Amir allegedly murdered his wife at his Shahzad Town farmhouse on Friday over a monetary dispute. She had arrived in the city from Abu Dhabi a day earlier.

Meanwhile, another case was registered against Shahnawaz in the Shahzad Town police station after recovery of an illegal Kalashnikov from his residence where he murdered his wife. However, the weapon had nothing to do with the murder, a police officer added.

The investigators recovered a Mercedes bought by the deceased, but its documents were found missing. Mobile phones of the main suspect and the deceased were recovered, however, nothing was found on the mobile phone of the suspect.

The officer said Sarah’s mobile was found broken and it was suspected that her husband had broken it. The phone was sent to the FIA for forensic examination and retrieving data.

The investigators were also searching for the passport and Canadian nationality card of the deceased that were also missing, the officer said.

The alleged murderer also confessed that the deceased had bought a plot in Banigala but when asked about its documents he remained silent, the officer said.

Published in Dawn, September 28th, 2022