Karachi, February 18, 2025: The Sindh High Court (SHC) has approved the physical remand of Armaghan Qureshi, the prime suspect in the kidnapping and murder of Mustafa Amir, and directed authorities to present him before an anti-terrorism court (ATC) for further proceedings.
Justice Zafar Rajput presided over the hearing, during which Armaghan Qureshi appeared in court.
During the proceedings, the court inquired about the investigating officer (IO) handling the case. The prosecution informed the judge that Muhammad Ali had recently taken over, prompting the court to summon him immediately.
The former IO, Amir Ashfaq, was also questioned regarding a missing medical letter. He denied receiving any such document and stated that he had acted on verbal orders from the administrator judge when issuing instructions to the medical legal officer.
The ATC registrar presented case records, while the current IO confirmed that Armaghan had initially been placed under police remand before being moved to judicial custody. However, Justice Rajput pointed out inconsistencies in the documentation, as it still indicated police custody despite its revocation.
Following deliberations, the SHC ordered Armaghan Qureshi to be presented before the ATC later in the day for remand on charges of kidnapping, murder, and related offenses.
In a separate development, the Sindh High Court had earlier approved a judicial magistrate’s request to exhume Mustafa Amir’s body for further forensic analysis.
The City Court granted police permission to proceed, emphasizing the need for a post-mortem examination and DNA testing. A medical board has been formed to oversee the process.
According to police reports, Mustafa Amir had been missing since January 6 and was allegedly murdered by his childhood friends, who then burned his body along with his car to eliminate evidence.
Armaghan’s friend, Shiraz, provided further details, claiming that a dispute over a girl on New Year’s Eve led to tensions between Mustafa and Armaghan. On January 6, Armaghan allegedly lured Mustafa to his house under false pretenses and killed him in a violent altercation.
The suspects then transported Mustafa’s body in the trunk of his car to Hub, Balochistan, where they set the vehicle on fire. Investigators believe that Armaghan and Shiraz were directly involved in both the murder and disposal of the body.
Weapons Seized, Digital Evidence Under Investigation
Law enforcement officials also recovered modern weapons from Armaghan’s residence, prompting the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) to investigate their origins.
Additionally, police have sought assistance from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to analyze data from a laptop seized from Armaghan’s bungalow.
A chilling audio recording has surfaced, believed to be Mustafa Amir’s final voice note. In the recording, Mustafa informs a friend that he is heading to Armaghan’s house and invites him to join later.
This new evidence has cast doubt on the initial police investigation, as it suggests that Mustafa’s friend may have had knowledge of his whereabouts and disappearance but failed to report it for over a month.
