An Islamabad district and sessions court announced on Thursday that the statement of Shahnawaz Amir, the primary accused in the murder case of Sara Inam, would be recorded on October 18. This delay in recording the statement resulted from the defense counsel’s absence during today’s hearing.
Sara Inam, a Canadian national, was allegedly murdered by her husband, Shahnawaz Amir, who is the son of renowned journalist Ayaz Amir. The tragic incident occurred in Islamabad approximately one year ago.
Shahnawaz was taken into custody on September 23 last year in connection with the alleged murder, which transpired at a farmhouse in Islamabad’s Shahzad Town, just one day after Sara’s return to Pakistan from Dubai, where she had been working.
Initially, Shahnawaz was remanded to police custody the day following his arrest, and his physical remand was extended multiple times. His father was discharged from the case, and his mother, Sameena Shah, who was named as a co-accused, was granted post-arrest bail in November the same year.
On December 5, both Shahnawaz and his mother were indicted in the case.
In January, Dr. Bushra Ashraf, who conducted Sara’s post-mortem, revealed in an Islamabad court that the victim had multiple head fractures.
By July, Shahnawaz’s lawyer had completed the cross-examination of Sara’s father, Inamur Rahim, and her uncle, Ikramur Rahim.
Sara’s father, Inamur Rahim, has ruled out any compromise with the defense and has voiced frustration over the delays in the case’s conclusion.
In the recent past, Investigation Officer (IO) Habibur Rehman testified before a trial court, stating that Shahnawaz had confessed to his crime. He added that the police had recovered a bloodstained dumbbell, the murder weapon, and the medical report confirmed that Sara had died from a head injury.
Just a day ago, Sessions Judge Azam Khan concluded the recording of statements from the IO and prosecution witnesses in the murder case. The defense counsel had finished cross-examining the IO, who affirmed that he had not been negligent or tampered with evidence.
During today’s hearing, Judge Khan presided over the proceedings, with prosecutor Rana Hasan Abbas in attendance. However, the defense counsel, Basharatullah, did not appear in court.
Basharatullah’s assistant lawyer informed the court that the counsel had prior commitments at the Supreme Court and requested an adjournment, which the court granted.
The assistant lawyer assured the court that Shahnawaz’s statement under section 342 would be submitted at the next hearing. Consequently, the court issued directives for Basharatullah to appear at the subsequent hearing, scheduled for October 18, where Shahnawaz’s statement would be recorded.
The case has a complex history, with the police initially registering a first information report (FIR) for murder against Shahnawaz following Sara’s uncle’s complaint. Later, Shahnawaz’s parents, Sameena and senior journalist Ayaz Amir, were also implicated in the case for abetment.
The FIR stated that the police were alerted to the murder at a farmhouse in Shahzad Town, where they found Sara’s body and detained Shahnawaz, who admitted to the crime.
Shahnawaz’s confession detailed a heated argument and physical altercation with Sara, resulting in her tragic death. The case has seen various developments, including forensic audits and investigations.
