LAHORE – Bringing to an end all speculations about the motives behind the murder of Justice Javed Iqbal’s parents, the Lahore Police on Tuesday claimed to have arrested the killer.
Police identified the killer as Naveed Iqbal, stepbrother of Justice Iqbal, who murdered his father Malik Abdul Majeed and stepmother Zarina with the help of his two accomplices, over monetary issues. The accused initially denied the charges before the media, but later admitted to planning the murder.
Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Aslam Tareen told reporters Naveed confessed to killing his father and stepmother with the aid of Abbas and Ameen. Tareen said the judge’s parents and other family members had severed ties with Naveed because he was constantly blackmailing them for money.
He said Naveed took Abbas and Ameen to his parents’ residence and informed his father that he had managed to arrange a servant for them.
His father asked him to show the servant his quarters, where he directed them both to kill his parents. Abbas overpowered Malik Abdul Majeed and suffocated him to death with a pillow. Ameen tried killing Zarina in a similar manner but failed to do so. He then asked Abbas for assistance and together they managed to kill her. Naveed, who had been issuing direction all the while, collected a briefcase containing cash and important papers and left the house unnoticed with his aides. To a question, Tareen said Naveed had married twice and lived in Shahdara. Tareen said police had arrested Naveed and Abbas on Monday, however, Ameen, who was Abbas’ brother-in-law, was still at large.
The CCPO said Naveed had been dismissed from the Intelligence Bureau due to his unprofessional behaviour and habitual absences. The accused Abbas told reporters that Naveed had borrowed money from him and was not paying it back. “I went to his residence where Naveed told me that he had a plan to get money from his parents,” Abbas said. However, Naveed said police had pressurised him to confess on directions from Islamabad.
Upon this, police officials immediately stopped him from talking and moved him to a CIA centre. Reporters later reached the CIA centre where the accused confessed to the crime but said he had not murdered his parents. He said his parents had been murdered by Amin and Abbas.
