Journalist murder: Court hands over accused to police for 2-day physical remand

NOWSHERA: The two accused of the murder case of journalist Malik Hassan Zeb were handed over to the police for a two-day physical remand after they were produced in a local court on Thursday.

The police arrested Muhammad Ashfaq and his son Muhammad Zohaib for their involvement in the murder of the journalist who was gunned down in broad daylight in Akbarpura Bazaar in Nowshera district recently.

The police produced the accused in the court of additional district and sessions Judge, Pabbi, who handed them over to the police for a two-day physical remand.The police said that the two other accused identified as Bilal and an unknown hired assassin in the case were still at large and they were conducting raids to apprehend them soon.

Bilal was stated to be the brother-in-law of the slain journalist, with whom he had strained relations.Earlier, District Police Officer (DPO) Azhar Khan along with Superintendent of Police (Investigation) Alamzeb Khan, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Pabbi Circle, Jawad Khan, and Akbarpura Police Station House Officer Niaz Muhammad told a press conference that unidentified armed motorcyclists had shot dead journalist Malik Hassan Zeb, the reporter with Daily Aaj, Peshawar in Akbarpura Bazaar, on July 14.

He said that as the journalist along with his brother Anwar Zeb reached their shop in Akbarpura Bazaar, unidentified masked bike riders opened indiscriminate fire on Malik Hassan Zeb. He sustained multiple bullet injuries and died on the way to the hospital.

He said that three investigation teams were constituted to probe the incident from various angles, including his domestic and business affairs and that of terrorism.The DPO said that the teams were headed by Superintendent of Police (Investigation) Alamzeb Khan while Deputy Superintendent of Police Pabbi Circle, Jawad Khan, and Akbarpura Police Station House Officer Niaz Muhammad were part of the teams to probe the case.