Police have written to Syed Ahmad Shah, the secretary of slain Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Sami’s (JUI-S) chief Maulana Samiul Haq, who has reportedly been missing from his home for a few days.
Syed Ahmed Shah, who stayed with the deceased at his Bahria Town residence, was the first person to find the dead body and is considered an important witness in the case.
The Rawalpindi police contacted the Nowshehra and Akora Khattak police to include the secretary, an Afghan-born living in Pakistan since his childhood.
The secretary’s summon notices have been sent to Akora Khattak by the courier service.
Law enforcement agencies have also recovered a knife from the crime scene and sent it to a laboratory for forensic analysis. They have also collected DNA samples of people considered to be close to the deceased for testing.
A bloodstained kurta has also been recovered from his room, which is not considered to be Haq’s. Police said the DNA samples were sent to the Punjab Forensic Science Agency which will be matched with those of seven suspects.
Police have added that while Shah is not legally considered a witness, his testimony will be recorded under section 161 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), as the investigating officers have legal authority to summon any witness and record their written statement which can be used in court of law.