Police get more time to bring man charged with DHA murders to court

A judicial magistrate of District South on Monday granted more time to the police to present a suspect involved in the DHA double murder, Atif Zaman, as the investigation officer said the man’s condition was not stable enough to move him from the hospital.

Zaman allegedly killed anchorperson Mureed Abbas and construction contractor Khizar Hayat over a monetary dispute on July 9 in the Defence neighbourhood. After the killings, the suspect allegedly tried to commit suicide by shooting himself in the torso at his apartment.

The IO told the court that the suspect was under treatment at the hospital and could not be brought to the court due to his condition. He said the doctors had already barred everyone, including him, from meeting the patient.

Meanwhile, the suspect’s lawyer submitted an application in the court seeking permission for Zaman’s meeting with his father, as he had arrived from Manshera to meet his son after he learned about the incident.

The magistrate issued a notice to the relevant SSP seeking his comments on the application on July 19. The court directed the IO to submit an investigation report by July 30. Talking to the media, the lawyer said he went to meet Zaman at the hospital, but he was not in a condition to give his statement. He added that his client’s brother, who was allegedly with him during the shootout, had also been arrested by the police.

Initially, two FIRs were registered at the Darakhshan police station against Zaman: for murdering two people and for attempting suicide. Later, it transpired that the weapon used in the crime was unlicensed, so another case was registered against the suspect on July 11 under the Sindh Arms Act, 2013.