ATC Approves 14-Day Judicial Custody
An anti-terrorism court in Islamabad on Monday sent suspect Saad Abbasi to jail on a 14-day judicial lock-up for an identification parade in the murder case of Pakistan Air Force Group Captain Asim Tariq.
ATC Judge Abual Hasanat Mohammad Zulqarnain heard the case registered by Islamabad Police against the suspect. During the hearing, the investigating officer told the court that Abbasi needed to be placed in judicial custody for the identification process. Prosecutor Raja Naveed also informed the court that two eyewitnesses were part of the case.
PAF Officer Killed While Protecting Woman
According to police, Group Captain Asim Tariq was killed after he intervened to protect a woman from an alleged abduction attempt on Islamabad’s 9th Avenue. Police said the officer was travelling on the road when he saw a woman getting off a motorcycle while the rider was pulling her hand.
The PAF officer stopped his vehicle after noticing the situation. The woman then moved toward the other side of his vehicle. Police said the suspect, identified as Saad Abbasi, argued with Group Captain Tariq before opening fire. The officer later died from his injuries, while the suspect fled from the scene.
During the court proceedings, Judge Zulqarnain asked the suspect why he committed the act. Abbasi told the court that he was with a girl and claimed that a man came and disturbed them. The judge questioned his explanation and later approved the suspect’s 14-day judicial custody. The court directed police to produce Abbasi again on July 20.
Police Say Digital Evidence Helped Trace Suspect
Inspector General of Police Ali Nasir Rizvi said a coordinated and multi-layered operation led to the suspect’s arrest. He said police used digital monitoring, field intelligence, and technical evidence to track the accused.
According to the police chief, the suspect had picked the woman from her residence on two earlier occasions. On the day of the incident, an argument took place near Shaheen Chowk after the suspect allegedly tried to force her to go with him to another location instead of her workplace. The woman refused.
IGP Rizvi said the suspect and the woman had known each other for only a few days. He added that she did not even know his residential address. To solve the case, police formed 11 special teams. Investigators reviewed footage from 275 Safe City and private CCTV cameras, along with recordings from 137 digital video recorders.
