A high-level investigation team probing the murder of Pakistani digital media executive Hina Javed has ruled out the involvement of her husband, Faisal Asghar Imam, saying forensic evidence points to their domestic worker as the sole perpetrator. However, the victim’s family has rejected the findings.
Javed, 45, was found tortured and murdered in the bathroom of her apartment in Rawalpindi’s Lal Kurti area on August 20. Her family had initially accused her husband, father-in-law Asghar Ali Fayyaz, and domestic worker Zeeshan Arshad of involvement in the killing.
Following concerns raised by the family over the initial investigation, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif formed a high-level committee led by Additional Inspector General Sohail Zafar Chattha, director general of the Punjab Crime Control Department (CCD), to conduct a fresh probe.
Speaking to an international media outlet, Arab News, Chattha said investigators had established through forensic evidence that Arshad killed Javed and sexually assaulted her after her death. He maintained that no incriminating evidence had been found against her husband.
According to Chattha, DNA evidence linked Arshad to 15 items examined during the investigation, including samples collected from Javed’s body and clothing, electrical wires, a knife and other objects recovered from the apartment.
His DNA was also detected beneath Javed’s fingernails and in samples collected during her post-mortem examination. Investigators said these findings suggested that she may have resisted the assault.
DNA associated with Imam was found on a broken door-lock handle and swabs collected from a bedroom door lock. However, Chattha said these traces did not establish his involvement and could have resulted from earlier contact with the objects.
The investigation team also cited polygraph test results, which it said supported the conclusion that Arshad had acted alone. According to the report, investigators found no established motive for Imam to kill his wife and no evidence of previous disputes or physical violence between the couple.
Chattha further said Imam was suffering from brain cancer and that his physical condition made it difficult for him to carry out the crime.
The investigators also pointed to inconsistencies in Arshad’s statements. He initially claimed that two robbers had entered the apartment, later accused Imam of offering him Rs100,000 to kill Javed, and subsequently changed his account several times before allegedly confessing to acting alone.
Family Rejects Investigation
Meanwhile, Javed’s family has rejected the findings, alleging that investigators focused on the domestic worker from the beginning while failing to properly examine Imam’s possible involvement.
In a statement shared with Arab News, the family said the investigation appeared to be portraying the murder as a crime committed solely by the domestic worker rather than examining the role of the victim’s husband.
Sabah Bano Malik, Javed’s cousin, also questioned Imam’s conduct following the murder, saying the family had seen no visible expression of grief or demand for justice from him.
She further questioned his apparent lack of objection to being held alongside Arshad in custody. However, Malik acknowledged that the family had no evidence of physical abuse before the killing.
The Rawalpindi police chief is expected to submit a final report within days, while Javed’s family plans to hold a press conference on Saturday.
