Three police officers in Karachi have been suspended and demoted for their mishandling of the kidnapping and murder case of 23-year-old Mustafa Amir in the Defence Housing Authority (DHA), an official confirmed on Sunday.
Amir was abducted from DHA on January 6, and his family received a ransom call two weeks later. During the investigation, police arrested a suspect, Armaghan, after an exchange of gunfire. Armaghan later claimed that Amir had been murdered by his own friends.
Following his arrest, Armaghan was remanded into custody by an anti-terrorism court, while police sought custody of another suspect, Shavez Bukhari, for further interrogation.
On January 12, law enforcement found an unidentified body inside a burnt vehicle in Hub. The Balochistan police later transferred the remains to the Edhi Foundation for burial, and the body was laid to rest at the Edhi graveyard in Karachi on January 16.
Speaking on the matter, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police (South) Syed Asad Raza stated that the three officers were suspended for failing to make significant progress in the case.
In a video message, the victim’s mother accused Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Investigation Ali Hassan of victim-blaming and delaying action for 20 days. The DIG acknowledged these concerns and assured that an inquiry would be conducted into the allegations.
According to official orders issued by DIG South, Darakhshan Police Station’s Station House Officer (SHO) Abdul Rasheed Pathan and Station Investigation Officer (SIO) Zulfiqar Ahmed were demoted to the rank of assistant sub-inspectors. Meanwhile, Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Iftikhar Ahmed, also from Darakhshan Police Station, was demoted to head constable pending an internal inquiry into their conduct regarding the case.
The officers have been reassigned to the police headquarters in Garden and will be required to attend daily roll call and parades. Their pay and allowances will be determined according to official regulations.
‘Police Faced Several Challenges’
Commenting on the case, Inspector General (IG) of Sindh Police Ghulam Nabi Memon acknowledged shortcomings in the police’s handling of the investigation but cited certain challenges that complicated the process.
He noted that Amir did not carry a mobile phone but instead used a data call, which was difficult for authorities to trace due to a lack of necessary technology.
Additionally, the victim had previously been arrested by the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) on drug-related charges. Initially, police suspected that he might have been taken by security agencies. However, they later confirmed that he was not in official custody.
Another complication arose because the family received the ransom call much later. Investigators initially attempted to determine whether Amir’s disappearance was a kidnapping for ransom or had another motive. However, after the ransom demand was made, the case was handed over to the Anti-Violent Crime Cell (AVCC) for further investigation.
According to the IG, it has now been revealed that Amir was killed on the very first day of his abduction. Disputes among friends allegedly led to his murder, after which the suspects fled Karachi, first to Lahore and later to Skardu.
One suspect, Armaghan, returned to Karachi three days before his arrest, while the other suspect came back two days before his apprehension.
The police also faced legal hurdles while attempting to secure Armaghan’s custody for interrogation. The court denied them the suspect’s remand, prompting law enforcement to file a revision petition with the Sindh High Court to obtain extended custody for further questioning.
The IG assured that investigators are now focused on ensuring a thorough inquiry to bring those responsible to justice. A new investigative team, led by AVCC SSP Aneel Haider and overseen by CIA DIG Muquddus Haider, has been assigned to the case. The investigation will also be conducted under the supervision of the Sindh Prosecutor General.
The IG urged the victim’s family to cooperate with the investigation and confirmed that the three officers were suspended and demoted due to their unprofessional conduct.
