An Islamabad anti-terrorism court on Monday sent the suspect in the murder of group captain Asim Tariq to prison on 14-day judicial remand for identification parade.
Tariq was shot dead a day earlier while trying to rescue a woman near Shaheen Chowk on Ninth Avenue in the jurisdiction of Margalla police station. According to initial reports, Tariq was passing through when he noticed a woman had gotten off a motorcycle while the driver was allegedly pulling her by the hand.
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He turned around and stopped near the motorcycle, causing the woman to run to the other side of her vehicle. During the confrontation, the alleged suspect exchanged harsh words with the officer before opening fire on him. Tariq later succumbed to his injuries, while the suspect fled the scene. Police sources said the woman claimed the suspect was her colleague who had offered to take her to work but allegedly changed the route and tried to take her somewhere else, leading to a fight. Tariq intervened in time and ensured his safety.
The suspect was presented before ATC Judge Abu Al-Hasanat Zulqarnain with his face covered. Special public prosecutor Raja Naveed Hussain and investigation officer Akhtar Hussain informed the court that two eyewitnesses were available and the identification process was required.
The court noted that the suspect had been arrested a day earlier and was facing serious charges related to the murder of an armed forces officer. He ordered jail authorities not to allow any changes to the suspect’s face, appearance or physical features until the identification parade was completed. The suspect was ordered to appear in court again on July 20.
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Meanwhile, a first information report (FIR) has been registered in the case, which includes charges of murder and under section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.
The FIR, filed following the complaint of Wing Commander Imran Khurram Nawaz, stated that Tariq stopped the suspect from misbehaving with a girl, following which the suspect opened fire on him. Tariq died on the spot.
Separately, Islamabad Inspector General of Police Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi said the suspect opened fire on Tariq after the officer intervened when the suspect allegedly tried to forcibly take a woman with him.
At a news conference, the police chief said the shooting occurred at 11:21 a.m. and that the suspect was arrested within nine hours. He said the suspect and the woman worked at the same store in Melody and had visited together previously.
On the day of the incident, the suspect allegedly wanted to take the woman to a park or another location, but she refused. The officer intervened after witnessing the altercation, after which the suspect turned around on his motorcycle and shot him.
The IG said 11 police teams investigated the case, reviewed footage from 275 Safe City cameras and used artificial intelligence tools to track the suspect.
He was arrested in Islamabad after allegedly purchasing a Skyways bus ticket and disconnecting data from his mobile phone.
