RAWALPINDI – TikTok star Ayesha Gulmina, aka Ayesha Shamsu, was murdered last week. What initially appeared to be a murder over financial dispute has now taken a shocking turn, with police arresting her father and brother along with three other relatives in an alleged honour killing case.
The father, brother and three other relatives of the deceased were held over allegations that the social media personality was killed in the name of honour. Police arrested five suspects in total including Ayesha’s father Fazal, her brother, her paternal cousin her father’s uncle and the son of her paternal cousin.
SSP Operations Tariq Mehmood revealed the developments, saying preliminary investigations suggested that Ayesha was allegedly killed at the behest of her father and brother with the help of accomplices. He said the investigation was still underway and said further probing could uncover additional revelations.
The case has taken an especially startling turn because the FIR was initially registered on the complaint of Ayesha’s own father who has now been arrested as a suspect. According to the FIR Ayesha had been active on TikTok for around three to four years and had built a following of approximately 1.3 million people.
Police said the investigation involved several special teams formed on the instructions of CPO Hassan Mushtaq Sukhera. More than 100 CCTV cameras were examined while investigators also relied on human intelligence and other sources.
According to the SSP police eventually brought Ayesha’s father and brother into the investigation based on the circumstances and evidence collected during the probe. Police allege that the suspects disclosed their involvement in arranging the killing with the help of other accused.
Ayesha was shot dead on August 14 within the jurisdiction of Taxila Police Station. The FIR said that she received a phone call from a man who asked her to leave her house. After receiving the call she reportedly set out in her car with her brother and sister to visit her father’s home in Faisal Town.
As the vehicle approached the Faisal Town area two unidentified motorcycle riders allegedly opened fire. One of the bullets struck Ayesha in the neck and she died at the scene. Her brother who was driving the car reportedly lost control of the vehicle after the shooting and crashed into a dumper coming from the opposite direction. Both her brother and sister were injured in the crash and attack.
At the time the FIR was registered, Ayesha’s father claimed that his daughter had been murdered over a financial dispute. He told police that Ayesha had informed him that two men had taken money from her and were allegedly threatening to kill her.
Her brother Rehmatullah said he believed the murder was linked to a financial dispute. However the investigation has now taken a completely different direction with police saying preliminary findings point towards an alleged honour killing.
Rehmatullah had also alleged that the person detained by police had not been nominated by the family. The investigating officer however rejected that claim and said the written complaint used to register the FIR had itself been prepared by Ayesha’s father.
Rehmatullah said Ayesha was the third among their 10 siblings and had three children. He said she had been travelling to her father’s house in Faisal Town on the day of the shooting to meet her siblings. According to him Ayesha did not live with her parents and had been residing in a rented house in Islamabad.
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