Hina Javed murder case: DNA report reveals matches involving husband, domestic help

• Faisal's DNA matched at four locations.
• Hina’s family alleges police probe lacks impartiality.
• Punjab CCD launches fresh probe.
  

A DNA report summary in the murder investigation of Hina Javed has identified matches linked to her husband, Faisal Asghar, and domestic worker Zeeshan Arshad, leading the victim’s family to reiterate its demand for a fair and transparent probe.

According to the report’s details cited in the case, Faisal’s DNA matched at four locations, while Zeeshan’s DNA reportedly matched material recovered from beneath Hina’s fingernails. Faisal’s fingerprints were also found on the victim’s neck, clothes, a room door handle and a sheet used in the crime.

The findings have not, by themselves, established the guilt of either suspect. Their evidentiary significance and the circumstances in which the biological material was deposited will have to be assessed by investigators and the courts.

Hina’s brother, Fahad Javed, has expressed a lack of confidence in the police investigation, alleging that investigators are attempting to shift the focus of the case and place the entire blame on Zeeshan despite the reported forensic findings. The family has called on the Punjab government to constitute a judicial commission to ensure an independent inquiry.

The development comes as the Punjab Crime Control Department (CCD) has launched a fresh investigation into the case on the directives of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif. A team led by Additional Inspector General Sohail Zafar Chattha has reviewed the DNA report, post-mortem findings, evidence collected from the crime scene and the handling of the earlier investigation.

According to a report, the team also examined possible investigative lapses and questioned police officers involved in the initial probe. The victim’s brother and his lawyer, Shah Khawar, have conveyed their concerns to the team, which has assured the family that the case will be investigated impartially and on merit.

Hina, 45, was found dead in the bathroom of her residence in Rawalpindi’s Lal Kurti area on August 21. Her murder case was registered at the Civil Lines police station on the complaint of her brother, who alleged that she had been subjected to violence before her death.

The post-mortem report had revealed a fracture in her neck bone, injuries to her ribs and hip, and blood around the heart. The initial examination, however, did not establish the definitive cause of death, prompting further forensic analysis.

Police arrested Faisal and Zeeshan in connection with the case, while Hina’s father-in-law was also named in the investigation. Earlier police accounts alleged that Faisal had offered money to the domestic worker to assist in the killing, a claim that remains subject to investigation and judicial determination.

The CCD team is also examining telephone records, the alleged murder weapon and other forensic evidence. The final police report is expected to be submitted to the court after the outstanding forensic results are received and the investigation is completed.

— With additional input from The News