ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has rejected the post-arrest bail application of Constable Saifullah, a Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police official accused of involvement in the abduction and murder of 30-year-old Farrukh Afzal, who was kidnapped from the federal capital earlier this year.

Justice Shahrukh Arjumand issued the order after hearing arguments from both sides. The judge had reserved the verdict earlier this month and, while dismissing the application, found no grounds to grant relief to the accused at this stage.

According to the prosecution, Farrukh Afzal was abducted from Islamabad in May this year and subsequently murdered. His body was later recovered from Mardan district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The case was registered at Kohsar Police Station. Two suspects were arrested in connection with the crime: 19-year-old Mahnoor Shahid and Saifullah, a police constable from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The court has already granted bail to Shahid, the co-accused in the case.

During the bail hearing, Saifullah’s counsel contended that his client was not nominated in the initial First Information Report (FIR) and was implicated later on the basis of statements recorded by a co-accused. The defence argued that the constable had been falsely implicated and should be released on bail.

The prosecution, however, opposed the plea, maintaining that Saifullah’s alleged role in the abduction and subsequent murder had been established during the investigation and that his custodial interrogation had yielded material relevant to the case.

Justice Arjumand, after considering the arguments, declined to grant bail, observing that the allegations against the constable were serious and that the investigation into his alleged involvement was still at a crucial stage.

Published in Dawn, November 15th, 2026