ISLAMABAD: The Sindh High Court has granted physical remand for Armaghan Qureshi, the prime suspect in the murder of Mustafa Amir, who was abducted and killed earlier. The court ordered his presentation before an anti-terrorism court (ATC) for further proceedings.
Justice Zafar Rajput presided over the hearing, where Armaghan appeared in court. The court inquired about the case’s investigating officer (IO), and prosecution confirmed that Muhammad Ali was now handling the case. The judge then summoned the new IO.
The court also questioned former IO Amir Ashfaq about a missing medical letter, to which he claimed he had not received any such document. When asked about a document allegedly issued to the medical officer, Ashfaq explained he acted on verbal instructions from the administrator judge.
The ATC registrar presented the case records, and the current IO confirmed that the initial police remand had been granted by the trial court before the suspect was transferred to judicial custody. Despite this, the court observed discrepancies in the documentation.
After deliberation, the court ordered that Armaghan be presented before the ATC later for remand on charges including kidnapping, murder, and related offenses.
In a related development, the Sindh High Court had previously approved a request for the exhumation of Mustafa Amir’s body in connection with the investigation. Police filed the exhumation request, which was granted by the judicial magistrate. A medical board has been formed to conduct a post-mortem and collect DNA samples.
Mustafa Amir had been missing since January 6, with police alleging that his childhood friends, including Armaghan, were responsible for his abduction and murder. The suspects reportedly burned his body and car in Balochistan. Armaghan’s friend, Shiraz, claimed the dispute between Mustafa and Armaghan over a girl was the motive behind the killing.
Police have recovered modern weapons from Armaghan’s residence, and the Counter-Terrorism Department is investigating their origin. Additionally, the AVCC police have requested assistance from the FIA to analyze data from a laptop seized from Armaghan’s home.
A disturbing audio recording has also emerged, believed to be Mustafa’s last message, where he informs a friend of his visit to Armaghan’s house, raising questions about the investigation and the friend’s failure to inform authorities earlier.
