Key witness in Intezar murder case retracts video statement

KARACHI: Just a day after releasing video message on social media, the lone eyewitness to the murder of 19-year-old Intezar, Madiha Kayani, on Thursday retracted her statement of a “pre-planned murder”.   

She withdrew her statement after appearing before the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) at Central Police Office here.

It was the fifth meeting of JIT chaired under the chairmanship of Additional IG CTD Dr Sanaullah Abbasi, the officials had summoned Intezar’s father Ishtiaq Ahmed, friend Kazim Shah, Uncle of former classmate Mahrukh and Madiha Kayani for a questioning session.

During the session, Kayani withdrew her statement made in the video message, wherein she described the teenager’s murder as “pre-planned” and claimed to have recognized one of the key characters behind the killing.

According to sources, the eyewitness claimed that she made the video statement under duress.

The key information to emerge from the fifth JIT session was the statement of Mahrukh’s father Sohail Hameed.

Mr. Hameed, brother of police officer Amir Hameed in Karachi, recorded his statement through a video-link from America.

He informed the JIT officials that her daughter and the slain teenager were classmates. He conceded that he called Mr. Ishtiaq Ahmed once about his son’s frequent phone calls to his daughter.

However, he denied making threats to Intezar’s father.

New revelations 

In a press conference last month, Intezar’s father revealed about alleged involvement of another girl into the murder, while asserting that the evidences were being destroyed.

Ahmed then said his son had a friend named Mahrukh, claiming the girl’s father had threatened him of dire consequences after learning about friendship between the girl and his son.

“…Mahrukh’s father had called me from America and threatened me as he told his brother in Karachi was on a key post. I have just come to know the girl is niece of former SSP ACLC Muqaddas Haider,” he then claimed.

He said he sent Intezar to Malaysia following the threat, adding, Mahrukh and Intezar were schoolmates.

Intezar’s murder

On January 14, Anti-Car Lifting Cell (ACLC) personnel shot dead Intezar in Khayaban-e-Ittehad area of the city.

Two different versions emerged after the incident when police earlier claimed that the youth was killed by unidentified armed assailants on motorcycle.

However, later it was disclosed that the personnel of law enforcement agencies opened fire upon his vehicle after he did not stop his car on their signal.

The slain youth was the only son to his father and recently came back from Malaysia.