PESHAWAR:
Upper Chitral police have made a major breakthrough in the Shehla Yaqoob murder case, arresting the prime suspect, Junaid son of Muhammad Hashim, following an extensive investigation.
According to police, Shehla Yaqoob, a resident of Nishko, went missing from her home on August 14. Her father, Muhammad Yaqoob Shah, lodged a missing person’s report at Morkho Police Station. A week later, on August 21, suspicions of abduction emerged, prompting the registration of a case under Section 365-B of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
Tragically, on August 24, Shehla’s body was recovered from a river near Ayun, Lower Chitral. The initial postmortem revealed the cause of death as asphyxia and drowning. During the investigation, police collected crucial evidence, including the victim’s sandals and a handwritten note, which have been sent for forensic analysis.
On August 27, the victim’s father formally nominated Junaid son of Muhammad Hashim as the prime suspect, holding him responsible for his daughter’s death. Consequently, police added Section 302 PPC (murder) to the case. Following an intensive manhunt, a special police team successfully apprehended the suspect.
District Police Officer (DPO) Upper Chitral, Hameedullah, confirmed the arrest and stated that a Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by SP Investigation Ajmal Khan, has been constituted to ensure a merit-based probe covering all aspects of the case.
