Forensic findings in the murder investigation of Hina Javed have identified DNA matches linked to her husband and to a domestic worker, as a fresh investigation into the case gets under way in Punjab.
The DNA report found the husband, Faisal Asghar, had DNA matches at four locations, while the domestic worker, Zeeshan Arshad, had DNA matching material recovered from beneath the victim’s fingernails. Faisal’s fingerprints were also reported on her neck, clothes and a door handle. The findings alone do not establish guilt.
A special committee formed on Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s directives has completed a reinvestigation. According to investigation team sources, it named Zeeshan, already nominated in the case, as the prime suspect, citing skin particles belonging to him found during the examination.
Her brother, Fahad Javed, says he distrusts the police investigation and alleges investigators are shifting all blame onto Zeeshan. The family has asked the Punjab government to set up a judicial commission to ensure an independent inquiry.
The Punjab Crime Control Department has opened a fresh investigation. A team led by Additional Inspector General Sohail Zafar Chattha has reviewed the DNA report, post-mortem findings and earlier probe, and questioned officers involved. The brother and lawyer Shah Khawar raised their concerns; the team assured the family of an impartial inquiry on merit.
Hina, 45, a digital media executive, was found dead in the bathroom of her home in Rawalpindi’s Lal Kurti area on August 21. Her brother’s complaint at the Civil Lines police station alleged she had suffered violence before her death. The post-mortem found a fractured neck bone and rib and hip injuries, but no definitive cause of death.
Faisal and Zeeshan were arrested; Hina’s father-in-law was also named in the investigation. Earlier police accounts alleged Faisal offered money to the domestic worker to help carry out the killing, a claim yet to be tested in court. The final police report is expected to go before the court once outstanding forensic results are received.
