Islamabad ATC sends PAF officer murder suspect on 14-day remand for identification parade

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad on Monday sent the suspect in the murder of Group Captain Asim Tariq to jail on a 14-day judicial remand to facilitate an identification parade.

Group Captain Asim Tariq was fatally shot a day earlier after intervening to help a woman near Shaheen Chowk on Ninth Avenue within the limits of Margalla Police Station. According to preliminary investigations, Tariq was passing by when he noticed a woman who had gotten off a motorcycle while its rider was allegedly pulling her by the hand.

He turned his vehicle around and stopped near the motorcycle, prompting the woman to run behind his car for safety. During the confrontation, the suspect exchanged heated words with Tariq before opening fire on him. Tariq later died from his injuries, while the assailant escaped.

Police said the woman told investigators that the suspect was her colleague who had offered her a ride to work but allegedly changed the route and attempted to take her elsewhere against her wishes, leading to a struggle. Tariq intervened and helped ensure her 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 requested an identification parade.

Observing that the suspect had been arrested only a day earlier and faced serious allegations involving the killing of an armed forces officer, the court ordered jail authorities to ensure that no changes were made to the suspect's face, appearance or physical features until the identification process was completed. The court directed that he be produced again on July 20.

Meanwhile, police registered a first information report (FIR) under charges of murder and Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

According to the FIR, filed on the complaint of Wing Commander Imran Khurram Nawaz, Tariq confronted the suspect after seeing him allegedly harass a woman. The suspect then opened fire, killing the officer at the scene.

Separately, Islamabad Inspector General of Police Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi said the suspect shot Tariq after the officer stepped in when the man allegedly tried to force the woman to accompany him.

During a press conference, the police chief said the incident occurred at 11:21am and the suspect was arrested within nine hours. He added that the suspect and the woman worked at the same store in Melody and had previously been seen together.

On the day of the incident, the suspect allegedly wanted to take the woman to a park or another location, but she refused. After witnessing the dispute, Tariq intervened. The suspect then turned his motorcycle around and shot the officer.

The IG said investigators formed 11 police teams, examined footage from 275 Safe City cameras and used artificial intelligence tools to identify and trace the suspect. He was eventually arrested in Islamabad after allegedly buying a Skyways bus ticket and switching off his mobile phone data.