A suspect booked in the murder of college student Zafir Zuberi near Karachi's Do Darya
area on Monday recorded a confessional statement before a judicial
magistrate, in which he claimed that prime suspect Khawar Hussain Burney
had been the one who opened fire on the victim's car and as a result
killed him.
Khawar, his guard Abdul Rehman, his three
underage brothers — Haider Hussain Burney, Hasan Hussain Burney and
Hasnain Hussain Burney — as well as several absconding accomplices have
been booked for the 18-year-old's murder.
The prime
suspect's guard, Rehman, made some important claims on Monday, including
that Zafir had been injured when Khawar opened fire on his car.
Police
say the suspects had gunned down Zafir and caused injuries to his
friend after Zafir, who was travelling in a Mercedes, hit motorcyclist
Dr Abdul Raheem while on his way to breakfast with his friends on Abdul
Sattar Edhi Avenue near Seaview on December 3.
At the
time of the accident, Dr Raheem had been racing his motorcycle on the
Abdus Sattar Edhi Avenue. After Zafir and company fled the scene of the
accident, Raheem's entourage, which was travelling in a Vigo, chased and
opened indiscriminate fire on their car.
The suspect
said he had traveled to Seaview beach along with Dr Raheem on December
3. Raheem's other friends — Khawar, and two others identified as Hammad
and Junaid Shah — had already been present near the site of the
incident.
Dr Raheem was riding Hammad's motorbike when he
was hit by Zafir's Mercedes, the suspect claimed. Having seen the
accident, Khawar started chasing the Mercedes in his Vigo.
Rehman said he and Hammad too started chasing the Mercedes when they heard a shot being fired from Khawar's vehicle.
"I saw that Khawar Burney had opened fire on the Mercedes," the suspect
said, adding that when Khawar realised someone had been shot, he
escaped the scene.
According to Rehman, Hammad and Junaid then picked up Dr Raheem's shotgun and used it to smash the Mercedes' windows.
"We then pulled the boys out of the car, beat them up and fled after snatching their cellphones and cash," Rehman confessed.
He claimed the entire act had been committed by Khawar and his friends Hammad and Junaid, "I was just watching".
Rehman is currently in jail on judicial remand.
A
case has been registered against the suspects under Sections 302
(premeditated murder), 324 (attempted murder) and 34 (common intention)
of the Pakistan Penal Code on the complaint of the deceased’s father,
Fahim Ahmed Zuberi, at the Sahil Police Station.
Last
week, three eyewitnesses had correctly picked out Khawar and Rehman
during an identification parade before a judicial magistrate.
