An anti-terrorism court in Islamabad has sentenced the main culprit, Shahzeb alias Zebi, to death twice for the murder of former Kashmiri commander Bashir Ahmad. On February 3, Anti-Terrorism Court Judge Tahir Abbas Supra announced the verdict, sentencing Shahzeb to two death penalties under terrorism and attempted murder charges. It is worth noting that in February 2023, former commander Bashir Ahmad Wani, who was associated with a militant organization active in Kashmir, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in the Burma Town area of Rawalpindi. Additionally, in the same case, the court sentenced five other accused to a total of 40 years and 9 months in prison, along with fines, for charges including receiving funding from India’s intelligence agency RAW to carry out terrorist activities in Pakistan.
It is worth noting that between 2022 and 2023, five such incidents occurred within a year in which key commanders—both former and active—of Kashmiri "jihadi organizations" were mysteriously targeted and killed in unidentified attackers' covert operations. Among those assassinated were prominent figures such as Syed Khalid Raza, Bashir Ahmad, and other key commanders. While these killings took place in different locations, the method of execution remained the same. Khalid Raza, Bashir Ahmad, and Mistri Zahid were all associated with militant organizations that had been active in India-administered Kashmir.
These organizations have consistently accused India of being behind these attacks.
In February 2023, former commander of the Kashmiri resistance movement, Bashir Ahmad Peer, also known as Imtiaz Alam, was shot dead by unidentified armed motorcyclists in Rawalpindi’s Burma Town after Maghrib prayers while returning home. According to a report by journalist Jalaluddin Mughal, 60-year-old Bashir Ahmad was a native of the Kupwara area in Srinagar district, located in India-administered Kashmir. He had been associated with Hizbul Mujahideen, the largest Kashmiri militant organization, since the late 1980s. Bashir Ahmad was considered a top commander of Hizbul Mujahideen and a close associate of the group’s supreme commander, Syed Salahuddin. In the early 1990s, he relocated to Pakistan with his family. Apart from being a member of Hizbul Mujahideen’s Supreme Council, he was regarded as one of the most influential commanders in the group after its founding leader. Regarding the arrest of the suspect in Bashir Ahmad, also known as Imtiaz Alam's, murder, a police officer investigating the case told a journalist on the condition of anonymity that the murder case was initially registered at Khanna Police Station on behalf of the Station House Officer (SHO). Later, the investigation was handed over to the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD). The investigating officer stated that a few days after Bashir Ahmad's murder, they received a tip-off from an informant about the presence of two suspicious individuals near Islamabad Highway. Acting on this information, patrolling police officers conducted a raid at the location, leading to the arrest of suspects Moeez Ahmad and Mehran Younis. Explosives, an unlicensed pistol, and an unregistered motorcycle were also recovered from their possession.
According to the police officer, during interrogation, suspect Moeez Ahmad revealed that Shahzeb alias Zebi was involved in the murder of Bashir Ahmad. Following this, the police arrested Shahzeb near Gujar Khan, a suburban area of Rawalpindi. The officer further stated that when the suspects were presented for identification, Bashir Ahmad’s family members identified Shahzeb. They also informed the police that a few days before the murder, Shahzeb had visited their house and threatened Bashir Ahmad with serious consequences. Additionally, the officer mentioned that the pistol used to shoot Bashir Ahmad was also recovered from Shahzeb Nair. Analysis of the weapon confirmed that it was the same firearm used in the murder. The investigating officer further revealed that CCTV footage from the street in Burma Town, where Bashir Ahmad was shot, clearly showed Shahzeb Nair's face.
The Anti-Terrorism Court in Islamabad sentenced suspects Moeez Ahmad and Faizan Kayani to 40 years and 9 months in prison for allegedly receiving funding from India’s intelligence agency, RAW. Additionally, suspects Mehran Younis, Nauman Sattar, and Arsalan Wajid were sentenced to 35 years and 9 months in prison. However, according to the court’s detailed verdict, the accused denied the charges in court. The public prosecutor stated in court that the main suspects, Moeez Ahmad and Faizan Kayani, were receiving funding from RAW for carrying out terrorism in Pakistan. The CTD (Counter Terrorism Department) police had arrested six suspects in the murder case. The suspects were charged under various sections, including terrorism and murder. The detailed verdict also referenced the statement of the then SHO (Station House Officer), Sajid Akram Butt, who informed the court that on the morning of September 23, 2023, while he was on Islamabad Highway, which connects Islamabad and Rawalpindi, he received a tip-off from an informant about the presence of two suspicious individuals. When the police raided the location, they arrested Moeez Ahmad and Mehran Younis. During their search, a pistol, a kilogram of explosives, and a detonator were recovered from their possession.
According to the police inspector's statement mentioned in the court’s verdict, during interrogation, suspect Moeez Ahmad revealed that he was residing in the Fash Town area of Islamabad, where his associates Mehran Younis, Nauman Sattar, Faizan Kayani, and Arsalan Wajid were also living. The police inspector’s statement further indicated that the suspect admitted during questioning that he had hidden explosives in an under-construction house in Fash Town. Based on Moeez Ahmad’s statement, the police party raided the mentioned house in Fash Town, where they arrested Faizan Kayani and other suspects. They recovered explosives, firearms, cash, wireless sets, mobile phones, and USB drives from the location. The police inspector’s statement also revealed during the investigation that the suspects were receiving funding from India’s intelligence agency, RAW, and were conducting surveillance on religious figures and other significant locations in Pakistan. It was also uncovered during the investigation that the suspects were connected to the murder of former jihadi commander Bashir Ahmad, also known as Imtiaz Alam, in the Burma Town area of Rawalpindi. Additionally, according to the police inspector’s statement, it came to light that suspects Mehran Younis, Faizan Kayani, and Arsalan Wajid had received funds from abroad, which were transferred to their national identity card accounts and withdrawn through various private banks. Moeez Ahmad had also received these funds using the identity card numbers of his friends. During the investigation, Moeez Ahmad also informed the police about a Corolla car that he had purchased using money received from RAW. After he was identified, the police seized the car.
According to the statement of the police inspector in the court’s verdict, after the suspects’ confessions, the mobile phones of the six suspects were sent to the Cyber Crime Wing for forensic analysis. The analysis revealed that the suspects were in contact with RAW agents abroad via WhatsApp and Signal apps. These agents had instructed them to conduct surveillance on various religious figures and areas and to send pictures and videos of important installations. The forensic analysis of the suspects’ mobile phones further revealed that the suspects had followed all the instructions and were in constant contact with RAW agents. In the court's decision, the suspects denied the charges in their statements and rejected all the accusations made against them. During the trial, the special prosecutor informed the court that the suspects were involved in serious crimes, and firearms and explosives were recovered from them. There was also evidence that they were receiving funding from India's intelligence agency, RAW. The special prosecutor argued that the forensic analysis report of the suspects’ mobile phones also supported the prosecution’s case. On the other hand, the defense lawyer argued in court that the suspects were never arrested by the police but were forcibly taken by a secret agency. The defense lawyer also claimed that nothing was recovered from the suspects. Similarly, the call records of the suspects did not provide evidence of foreign contacts, and there was no proof from bank transactions that they were illegal. However, after considering all the evidence and facts, Anti-Terrorism Court Judge Tahir Abbas Supra sentenced the main accused, Shahzeb alias Zebi, to death twice under terrorism and murder charges. Additionally, the five other suspects, involved in receiving funding from India's RAW and engaging in terrorism in Pakistan, were sentenced to a total of 40 years and 9 months in prison, along with fines.