Group Captain Asim Tariq murder case: Suspect handed over to police on physical remand

ISLAMABAD: A suspect arrested in connection with the killing of Pakistan Air Force Group Captain Asim Tariq was handed over to police on physical remand by an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Islamabad.

According to the prosecution, the suspect has been identified during an identification parade conducted at Adiala Jail. Prosecutor Raja Naveed Hussain Kiyani told the court that eyewitnesses identified the accused during the process.

The investigating officer requested a 20-day physical remand of the suspect for further investigation. However, the court approved a seven-day physical remand and handed the accused over to police custody.

During the hearing, ATC Judge Abul Hasnat Muhammad Zulqarnain expressed strong remarks while addressing the accused. The judge questioned the suspect over the alleged destruction caused by the incident and said that the loss of a national asset had caused serious damage.

Read more: Group Captain Asim Tariq murder case: ATC sends Saad Abbasi to jail

The court observed that the suspect’s remorse could not undo the consequences of the alleged crime, asking whether expressing regret could bring back the victim.

The investigation into the case is ongoing.

Group Captain Asim Tariq was shot dead after intervening to rescue a woman from an abduction attempt on Islamabad’s Ninth Avenue, according to police.

Reports said Asim was passing through the area when he noticed a woman standing beside a motorcycle while a man appeared to be forcibly pulling her. He stopped his vehicle, and the woman ran towards it in an apparent attempt to seek protection.

Police said the suspect allegedly exchanged heated words with the PAF officer before opening fire on him. Group Captain Asim sustained critical injuries and later succumbed to them, while the suspect fled the scene.