RAWALPINDI — The father of a domestic worker accused of assisting in the murder of digital media executive Hina Javed has publicly claimed his son is innocent, alleging that investigators are shifting responsibility onto the young man and that he was tortured during remand to force a confession.
Muhammad Arshad told reporters that his son, Zeeshan Arshad, is being wrongly portrayed as a main suspect in the case. “My son is innocent,” he said, questioning the direction of the police investigation.
Background of the Case
Hina Javed, 45, was found dead in the bathroom of her residence in Rawalpindi’s Lal Kurti area on August 21. Her brother subsequently lodged a murder complaint at the Civil Lines police station, alleging she had been subjected to violence before her death.
According to the post-mortem report, Hina suffered a fracture to her neck bone, injuries to her ribs and hip, and bleeding around the heart.
Police arrested Faisal Asghar, Hina’s husband, and Zeeshan in connection with the case. Hina’s father-in-law was also named during the investigation. Earlier police accounts alleged that Faisal had offered Zeeshan money to help carry out the murder.
Father Presents Alternative Account
Arshad offered a different version of the events leading up to Hina’s death. He said his son had worked at the household for seven months and told him he woke on the night of August 20 after hearing a commotion during an argument between Hina and her husband.
According to Arshad, Zeeshan said Faisal was chasing Hina and instructed him to catch her when he encountered the domestic worker.
Arshad claimed his son refused to intervene in the couple’s dispute but was beaten by Faisal, who allegedly threatened him with a gun and ordered him to catch Hina.
“Whatever he did was under coercion,” Arshad said, arguing that investigators had focused their attention on his son rather than other aspects of the case.
Allegations of Torture
Arshad alleged that police tortured Zeeshan during remand and pressured him to confess to the murder. He further accused Faisal of killing Hina and subsequently hanging her in the bathroom.
These allegations represent the father’s account and have not been independently established.
Disputing claims about his son’s background, Arshad said Zeeshan is around 18 or 19 years old and had no previous criminal cases registered against him. He maintained that his son was being unfairly held responsible for Hina’s murder and called into question the police account of his alleged involvement.
Investigation Ongoing
The case remains under investigation, with police yet to respond publicly to the father’s allegations of torture and coercion. The conflicting accounts of the events of August 20 have raised questions about the circumstances surrounding Hina Javed’s death.
