When a 45-year-old woman was found lifeless in her Rawalpindi home on a late August afternoon, her loved ones expected a thorough and transparent quest for truth. Instead, months later, Hina Javed's family has completely rejected the police investigation committee's findings, officially writing to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to demand an independent judicial commission.
According to Geo News, Hina was found dead on August 21 in the bathroom of her residence located in Rawalpindi's Lal Kurti area. The murder case was registered at the Civil Lines police station by her brother, who stated that she had been subjected to violence prior to her death.
Geo News reported that the post-mortem examination revealed severe trauma, noting a fracture in her neck bone, injuries to her ribs and hip, and blood pooled around the heart.
Police subsequently arrested her husband, Faisal Asghar, and a domestic worker, Zeeshan Arshad, while her father-in-law was also named in the ongoing investigation, as detailed by Geo News. However, Zeeshan's family later accused the police of attempting to make him the prime suspect.
In their letter to the provincial leadership, Hina's relatives stated they had lost confidence in the police investigation committee's methodology. Geo News reported that the family raised specific concerns regarding forensic handling, claiming that DNA belonging to Faisal and his father was found on the victim's neck. They also noted that Hina's father-in-law had initially reported a house theft, that mobile phone forensic reports remain pending, and that important messages were allegedly deleted from Hina's phone.
Responding to the appeals, Geo News stated that Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz maintained that the investigation has not yet been completed. She assured the victim's family that no effort would be spared in delivering justice and pledged to personally meet the bereaved relatives.
Background
According to the reporting by Geo News, the case centers on the August 21 death of 45-year-old Hina Javed in the Lal Kurti area of Rawalpindi. The initial First Information Report (FIR) was lodged at the Civil Lines police station by the victim's brother, alleging physical violence. The official post-mortem report documented a neck bone fracture, rib and hip injuries, and heart-area bleeding. Law enforcement subsequently apprehended the husband, Faisal Asghar, and a domestic employee, Zeeshan Arshad, while placing the father-in-law under investigation. Disagreements over the direction of the probe emerged as Zeeshan's family alleged pressure to frame their son, while Hina's family argued that evidence concerning Faisal was being sidelined before comprehensive forensic and digital reports were finalized.
Why it matters
For ordinary citizens across Pakistan, criminal investigations and the pursuit of justice represent the foundational contract between the state and the public. When grieving families openly express a loss of trust in local police methodologies and demand high-level judicial oversight, it highlights public anxieties regarding evidence handling, forensic transparency, and the impartial enforcement of the law. The case underscores the critical community demand for institutional accountability, ensuring that complex criminal cases are investigated with absolute impartiality before reaching the courts.