An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Islamabad on Monday sent the suspect in the murder of Group Captain Asim Tariq to jail on 14-day remand for identification proceedings.
Tariq was shot dead a day earlier while trying to save a woman near Shaheen Chowk on Ninth Avenue in the jurisdiction of Margalla police station. According to initial reports, Tariq was passing by when he noticed a woman who had gotten off a motorcycle while the biker was pulling her by the hand.
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He turned around and stopped near the motorcycle, prompting the woman to run to the other side of his vehicle. During the confrontation, the alleged suspect exchanged harsh words with the police officer before opening fire on him. Tariq later succumbed to his injuries, while the suspect fled the scene. Police sources said the woman said the suspect was her co-worker who offered to take her to work, but allegedly changed the route and tried to take her elsewhere, 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 investigating officer Akhtar Hussain informed the court that two eyewitnesses were available and the identification procedure was necessary.
The court observed that the suspect was arrested the previous day and was facing serious charges related to the murder of an armed forces officer. He ordered prison authorities not to allow any change in the face, appearance or physical characteristics of the suspect until the identification procedure is completed. The suspect was ordered to appear in court again on July 20.
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Meanwhile, a first information report (FIR) in the case has been registered, including charges of murder and under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.
The FIR, filed following the complaint of Wing Commander Imran Khurram Nawaz, said Tariq stopped the suspect from misbehaving with a girl, upon whom the suspect opened fire on him. Tariq died instantly.
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.
Addressing a news conference, the police chief said the shooting occurred at 11:21 a.m. and 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 before.
On the day of the incident, the suspect allegedly wanted to take the woman to a park or elsewhere, but she refused. The officer intervened after witnessing the altercation, after which the suspect returned to 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 down the suspect.
He was arrested in Islamabad after allegedly purchasing a Skyways bus ticket and cutting off his mobile phone data.
