Evidence destroyed in Intezar murder case, alleges victim’s father

LAHORE: Evidence of Intezar Ahmed’s murder has been destroyed, alleged the father of the 19-year old who was killed under mysterious circumstances on January 13 in Karachi’s Defence locality.

Ishtiaq Ahmed, while addressing a press conference, said that it was upon his request that the case was handed over to the counter-terrorism department (CTP). He also highlighted that the joint investigation team (JIT) formed to probe his son’s murder was suspended and despite Senate’s Standing Committee on Human Rights’ assurance a new JIT had not been formed.

He also talked about a girl named Mahrukh, who he alleged is the niece of Anti-Car Lifting Cell (ACLC) Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Muqaddas Haider and was his son’s friend and schoolfellow. He further alleged that her father had threatened him during a call from the United States and had explicitly mentioned that his brother served on a key post in Karachi. He said that it was because of this threat that he had sent his son to Malaysia.

Upon being asked whether he was certain of the girl’s relationship with the suspended police officer, he said that it was not his job to obtain her family registration certificate but the relevant authorities should examine it to get to the truth.

He also alleged that the ALCL personnel who opened fire on Intezar’ car were personal guards and staffers of Muqaddas Haider and had no reason to shoot his son but murdered him anyway. He said that the circumstances of the murder and the link of the murders with the suspended police officer raised suspicion.

He further said that if justice was not served, he would go on a hunger strike along with his family from Friday outside Karachi Press Club.

It was two weeks after Intezar’s murder the CCTV footage of the incident first surfaced and showed Intezar’s car being intercepted and shot at. One important detail in the CCTV footage was that the police personnel who opened fire at Intezar’s car were not in uniform.

During the hearing of the case on Saturday, the investigation officer of the case told the District and Sessions Court South that a new JIT had been formed asked for more time in order to present police file of the case. The court’s proceedings were adjourned till February 10 and the bail of one of the suspects of the case was extended till the next hearing while other suspects remain under arrest.