As police continued to investigate the murder of a Canadian national allegedly by her husband, a local Islamabad court approved on Sunday a one-day physical remand of senior journalist Ayaz Amir, the suspect’s father, for his alleged involvement in the crime at a Chak Shahzad residence.
On Friday, the police arrested the journalist’s son Shahnawaz Amir for allegedly killing his wife Sara Inam, 37, a day after she arrived from Dubai.
The incident took place at a farmhouse located in the capital’s Shahzad Town suburb where the suspect lived along with his mother. On Saturday, Islamabad Police produced Shahnawaz in the court of Judicial Magistrate Mubasher Hasan Chishti and obtained his two-day physical remand.
Police had on Saturday also approached a local court seeking arrest warrants for Ayaz. He was taken into custody later in the day after the warrants were issued by the court.
At the hearing Sunday, Ayaz and his son Shahnawaz, the prime suspect, were produced before judge Zahid Tirmizi.
The journalist informed the court that he had apprised the police of the murder, saying the police did not even had information about his farmhouse’s location.
His lawyer said Ayaz was not even nominated in the case. However, police insisted that the case was a high-profile one and pertained to a murder of a Canadian national. The investigation officer requested the court to grant a five-day physical remand of the journalist.
Ayaz expressed his disappointment before the court, saying he had been arrested “despite the fact that I provided information to the police”.
“Shahnawaz is a suspect and I have no sympathies for him,” he told the court.
The court asked the police the reasons for arresting the journalist. “Ayaz Amir was present in the wedding of his son in Chakwal and he concealed facts from his [latest] daugther-in-law,” the police responded.
Ayaz negated the claim, saying he had informed the deceased about his son’s previous marriage. “Shahnawaz is addicted to drugs,” he said while refraining from defending his son in court.
After hearing arguments, the court granted a one-day physical remand of the journalist.
“In order to investigate the alleged role of accused or to reveal the innocent/guilt in alleged offence, it is necessary that IO be granted physical custody of accused. Therefore, for the purpose of investigation one-day physical custody of accused is hereby granted, who is directed to get the accused medically examined from quarter concerned,” the court said in an order.
