RAWALPINDI: Police records in Mandi Bahauddin show no prior case or complaint against Zeeshan Arshad, the domestic worker named the prime suspect, and people who knew him there describe him differently from how police have portrayed him in public statements.
Rawalpindi police investigating the murder of 45-year-old Hina Javed have named Zeeshan Arshad, a domestic worker employed at her house, as the prime suspect. The investigation team has publicly described him as having criminal tendencies and has alleged that he was involved in illegal and “unnatural” activities.
A Geo News team visited Zeeshan’s native village in Mandi Bahauddin district, reviewed the available record at Miana Gondal police station, and interviewed his teachers, friends, former employers and other residents.
The available record at Miana Gondal police station contains no previous case or complaint against Zeeshan Arshad, and local police did not confirm the existence of any such record.
A local police official told Geo News that the absence of a previous case does not, by itself, establish that a suspect is innocent.
When Geo News approached Miana Gondal police, officials initially did not appear to be aware of the Hina Javed case and later referred to media reports about it. They said the team investigating the murder had not contacted them.
Geo News found no indication that investigators had recorded statements from residents of the village. It could not be established how far the investigation team examined Zeeshan’s background, or what other sources it relied on for its description of his past.
Geo News also spoke to people who knew Zeeshan in the village. Their accounts reflect personal observations and do not establish what happened in the murder case.
Qari Mushtaq, a teacher at the religious seminary where Zeeshan studied for about two to two-and-a-half years, said he did not believe Zeeshan had been involved in immoral or unnatural activities, or that he was capable of committing such a serious crime.
Anas, a shopkeeper in the local market who said he had known Zeeshan for about five years, said Zeeshan had been involved in minor fights and disputes. He disputed the police’s claim that Zeeshan had sent photographs or videos to friends, saying Zeeshan had never sent him any such material.
Muhammad Rafiq Bhatti, a retired Pakistan Air Force serviceman who now runs a travel agency, said Zeeshan had worked for him for a considerable period. He said he had known Zeeshan since childhood, had never received a complaint about his conduct and was not aware of any involvement in illegal activity. He rejected the police’s allegations against Zeeshan.
Bhatti said Zeeshan came from a poor family with a religious background, his grandfather having served as prayer leader at the village mosque, and that family members had to travel elsewhere for work. He said he did not know the circumstances of the incident in Rawalpindi but expressed confidence in Zeeshan and his family.
Muhammad Saleem, a bookshop owner, said Zeeshan had worked for him for about a year and a half. He described him as honest and of good character and said he had seen nothing objectionable in his conduct during that time.
Haji Shahbaz, a barber in the village, said Zeeshan was a regular customer with a good temperament who did not usually get involved in fights or disputes.
Local councillor Muhammad Mansha said he had never observed any vice or misconduct on Zeeshan’s part. He described the family as respectable and said he was prepared to take responsibility for addressing any local complaint about Zeeshan or his family.
Tasawwar, who arranged Zeeshan’s employment at Hina Javed’s house, declined to speak on camera. He told Geo News that Zeeshan had been hired about seven months earlier after a background check carried out through Kamil Asghar, the victim’s brother-in-law, who had also asked for Zeeshan’s domicile certificate and his father’s national identity card. According to Tasawwar, Zeeshan was employed only after these checks were completed.
Police have named Zeeshan as the prime suspect on the basis of what they describe as his past tendencies and forensic reports, and say he has confessed to several crimes. The forensic reports have not been made public, and the victim’s family has demanded their release.
Nearly three months after the murder, police have not yet submitted the challan, the formal charge sheet, to the court.
Geo News’s findings in the village do not show that the police investigation is wrong or that Zeeshan is innocent, and the lack of a prior record does not rule out his involvement in the murder. They do, however, differ from the account of his past that police have given publicly, which police have not yet supported with publicly released evidence.
