ISLAMABAD: On Thursday, an Islamabad district and sessions court scheduled the recording of Shahnawaz Amir’s statement, the main murder case accused in Sara Inam’s murder, for October 18. This delay was due to the absence of the defense counsel during today’s hearing.
A year ago, Shahnawaz, the husband of Sara, a Canadian national, and the son of the renowned journalist Ayaz Amir, allegedly murdered her in Islamabad. The authorities arrested Shahnawaz on September 23 last year for the alleged murder, which occurred at a farmhouse in Islamabad’s Shahzad Town. This arrest occurred just a day after Sara’s return to Pakistan from Dubai, where she had been working.
After his arrest, the police initially held Shahnawaz in custody and extended the duration of his physical remand multiple times.
While his father, Ayaz Amir, was discharged from the case, Shahnawaz’s mother, Sameena Shah, who was named as a co-accused, was granted post-arrest bail in November last year.
On December 5, both Shahnawaz and his mother were formally charged in the case.
In January, Dr. Bushra Ashraf, who conducted Sara’s post-mortem, informed an Islamabad court that the victim had multiple head fractures.
In July, Shahnawaz’s lawyer completed the cross-examination of Sara’s father, Inamur Rahim, and her uncle, Ikramur Rahim.
Sara’s father, Inamur Rahim, has rejected any compromise with the defense and has accused them of causing delays in the case’s resolution.
Last month, Investigation Officer (IO) Habibur Rehman testified before a trial court, stating that Shahnawaz had confessed to the crime.
He also reported that the police had found a bloodstained dumbbell, which someone had used as the murder weapon. According to the medical report, Sara died due to a head injury.
A day ago, Sessions Judge Azam Khan concluded the recording of statements from the IO and prosecution witnesses in the murder case. The defense counsel also completed the cross-examination of the IO, who affirmed that he did not engage in any negligence or fabricate evidence. As a result, Shahnawaz is scheduled to record his statement today.
The hearing
Today, Judge Khan presided over the hearing with the presence of prosecutor Rana Hasan Abbas. However, the defense counsel in the case, Basharatullah, failed to appear in court.
Basharatullah’s assistant lawyer informed the court that the counsel had prior commitments at the Supreme Court and requested the court to adjourn the hearing, which the court agreed to.
The assistant lawyer assured the court that they would submit accused Shahnawaz’s statement under section 342 (power to examine the accused) of the Code of Criminal Procedure at the next hearing.
As a result, the court issued directives for Basharatullah to appear in the court at the next hearing on October 18, when tehy would record Shahnawaz’s statement.
The case
Last September, the police initiated a murder case based on a complaint by SHO Nawazish Ali Khan, charging Shahnawaz under Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
Later, they added Section 109 of the PPC to include Shahnawaz’s parents in the proceedings after an accusation from Sara’s uncle.
The police arrived at the crime scene, where Shahnawaz’s mother informed them about the murder. Arresting Shahnawaz with blood on his hands, the police later obtained his confession to the crime. They found a head wound on the victim’s body and uncovered the murder weapon hidden under a bed.
According to the police, Shahnawaz killed Sara during a heated argument following a divorce, and Sameena Shah, Shahnawaz’s mother, confirmed his involvement in the crime.
