MUZAFFARABAD (Kashmir Digital): In a major development in Javeria Zubair Bukhari murder case, an FIR was submitted in AJK High Court, registered against seven accused under Section 302 nearly eleven months after the incident.
During the hearing, the High Court expressed satisfaction over the police action.
Justice Sardar Ijaz Khan remarked that the registration of the FIR was a positive step and directed police to complete the investigation without delay.
The case had been brought to the court by the victim’s family, who had long demanded the registration of a murder case.
Representing the plaintiff, Advocate Tahir Aziz alleged that the case had been mishandled from the start. Javeria’s murder was initially presented as a suicide and evidence was tampered with to protect the accused, he said.
He urged the court to take action against officials and doctors who “distorted the investigation under political influence.”
On behalf of the accused, Advocate Shaukat Aziz argued that multiple investigations by the SHO, JIT, and Crime Branch had previously concluded that the death was a suicide, and that the new investigation was biased and politically motivated.
The court was informed by Assistant Advocate General, who appeared along with SP Jhelum Valley Abbas Gardezi, DSP Headquarters Muzaffarabad Raja Pervez Hameed, and SHO City Hattian Bala Manzar Chughtai, that three of the seven accused have been arrested, while raids are underway to apprehend the remaining suspects.
According to police reports, Javeria Zubair Bukhari died on November 21, 2024, at her in-laws’ residence in Qaziabad, Hattian Bala.
Her in-laws initially claimed the death was natural and later termed it a suicide. However, after intervention by the victim’s father and higher authorities, suspicions of foul play led to the case being reopened.
In May 2025, the police had filed a report declaring the death as suicide, but upon the direction of the Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir, a new investigation committee was formed on August 18, 2025, led by SP Abbas Gardezi and DSP Raja Pervaiz Hameed.
A high-level medical board, headed by Dr. Fasi-uz-Zaman, later reviewed the evidence and post-mortem X-rays and concluded that Javeria’s death was indeed a case of murder, not suicide.
Following this finding, the police registered the murder FIR (Section 302) and took Javeria’s husband, Aqib Munir, and her two brothers-in-law, Labid and Kamran Munir, into custody.
Four other accused, including three women, are still at large, and the police say more arrests and key revelations are expected soon.
