KARACHI: The charred remains, believed to be that of 23-year-old Mustafa Amir, who was tragically kidnapped and murdered by his friends in DHA on January 6, were exhumed on Friday at the Edhi Graveyard.
Authorities confirmed that the exhumation was carried out under the supervision of a medical board, with a judicial magistrate present.
Police Surgeon Dr. Summaiya Syed explained, “An unidentified, severely burned body was exhumed at the Edhi Graveyard in Mowach Goth. The body was extensively burned, and several body parts were missing. A total of 11 samples were collected for chemical analysis to confirm the identity of the deceased through DNA profiling and cross-matching.”
Dr. Syed further commented, “It is unlikely that the exhumation board will be able to determine the exact cause of death at this stage.” She added that the body had been transferred to the Edhi morgue for preservation until the identity was confirmed.
SSP Aneel Haider from the Anti-Violent Crime Cell revealed to Dawn that the collected samples had been sent to the University of Karachi’s laboratory, and the results were expected to be ready within a week.
Regarding the two arrested suspects, Armaghan and Sheeraz, CIA DIG Muqaddus Haider stated that the murder may have stemmed from a financial dispute. He mentioned that investigators had questioned Armaghan about why he chose Hub to dispose of both the body and Mustafa’s car. Armaghan’s answers were inconsistent, raising suspicions of possible involvement by other individuals.
Mustafa Amir had gone missing from DHA on January 6. During interrogation, Armaghan and Sheeraz revealed that Mustafa had been killed on the very same day he disappeared. They admitted that Mustafa’s body was burned in the trunk of his own car in the Dureji area of Hub.
Order to Return Case Files
In a related development, an administrative judge at the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) issued an order on Friday directing the registrar to return three case files concerning Mustafa Amir’s alleged kidnapping-for-ransom, an encounter, and illegal weapons possession.
Previously, on February 18, the Sindh High Court (SHC) had set aside the orders issued by the administrative judge of the ATC, which included the jail custody of the prime suspect, Armaghan. The SHC instructed the ATC-II judge to issue a new ruling according to the law.
A letter from the administrative judge, sent on Friday to the registrar of the ATCs, clarified that the case files had been transferred to the ATC-II court on February 18, but had not been returned. The letter further mentioned that on February 20, an assistant of the court, Athar, informed the judge that the case files were unaccounted for and might have been misplaced or locked in the judge’s chamber.
The letter also noted the assistant’s report, which indicated the expiration of the ATC-II judge’s contract on February 18. In response, the administrative judge directed the registrar to compile a detailed inventory of the ATC-II and submit it by February 25.
The case remains under investigation, with authorities closely monitoring the developments.
