An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Islamabad on Sunday ordered 14-day judicial remand for Saad Abbasi, the prime suspect in the murder of Group Captain Asim Tariq, to facilitate an identification parade. The suspect was produced before ATC Judge Abu Al-Hasanat Zulqarnain with his face covered, as per standard procedure.
Court Proceedings and Remand Details
Special Public Prosecutor Raja Naveed Hussain and Investigation Officer Akhtar Hussain informed the court that two eyewitnesses were available and the identification process was necessary to confirm the suspect's involvement. The court noted that the suspect had been arrested only a day earlier and faces serious charges, including the killing of an armed forces officer. To ensure the integrity of the identification parade, the court directed jail authorities to prevent any change in the suspect's face, appearance, or physical features. The suspect is scheduled to be produced before the court again on July 20.
FIR and Charges
An FIR has been registered in the case, including charges of murder and Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act. The FIR, filed on the complaint of Wing Commander Imran Khurram Nawaz, states that Group Captain Asim Tariq intervened when the accused was forcibly misbehaving with a woman. The accused then opened fire, killing Tariq on the spot. The FIR names two eyewitnesses: Muhammad Kamran and Waseem.
IGP Islamabad's Press Conference
Separately, Islamabad Inspector General of Police Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi provided details of the incident at a press conference. He said the accused opened fire on Group Captain Asim Tariq after the officer intervened when the suspect allegedly tried to forcibly take a woman with him. The shooting occurred at 11:21am, and the suspect was arrested within nine hours. According to the IG, the accused and the woman worked at the same cash-and-carry store in Melody and had previously visited together. On the day of the incident, the suspect wanted to take the woman to a park or another location, but she refused. The officer intervened after witnessing the altercation, and the suspect turned back on his motorcycle and shot him.
Investigation and Arrest
The IG stated that 11 police teams investigated the case, reviewed footage from 275 Safe City cameras, and used artificial intelligence tools to trace the suspect, who belongs to Abbottabad. He was arrested in Islamabad after allegedly purchasing a Skyways bus ticket and switching off his mobile phone data. The swift arrest was attributed to the coordinated efforts of multiple teams and advanced surveillance technology.
