All suspects in Islamabad businessman murder held within 24 hours: Minister

ISLAMABAD: All five suspects involved in the killing of businessman Aamir Awan during a robbery in the federal capital have been arrested within 24 hours of the crime, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry said on Tuesday.

The businessman Awan, who was shot by armed robbers at a farmhouse in Islamabad on March 29, succumbed to his injuries the following day during treatment.

Addressing a press conference alongside Inspector General of Police Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi, the minister said the gang behind the incident had been identified as the Mansoor Khan group, also known as the “Bulletproof Jacket Wala Gang.”

He said the group had links to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with two Afghan nationals among its members, adding that it operated in areas where even police presence was limited.

The minister said arrests were carried out across a wide from Karachi to Khyber.

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Chaudhry claimed that law and order in Islamabad had improved significantly, citing a 63% reduction in major crimes compared to last year. He acknowledged past shortcomings in policing, including lack of forensic capacity and incomplete Safe City infrastructure, saying efforts were underway to address these issues.

He also reiterated the government’s commitment to transform Islamabad into Pakistan’s first Smart City.

Briefing the media, IG Rizvi said the case was investigated using modern technology, including artificial intelligence and geofencing across six locations. Police analysed data from 137 calls and questioned 93 individuals during the probe.

He added that raids were conducted in Charsadda and Mardan, as well as in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, leading to the arrest of the gang’s ringleader in Charsadda.

Police said the suspects were highly organised and had disarmed the victim’s guard, seizing a rifle and mobile phones during the robbery.