ISLAMABAD: Following police claim of finding the body of missing Pakistani-American woman Wajiha Swati from Lakki Marwat, further revelations have come to light in the murder, including the prime suspect’s intention of fleeing to Poland and seeking asylum.
Police sources told media on Sunday that Swati’s ex-husband, Rizwan Habib, who has been arrested for allegedly murdering her and who police claimed a day earlier had confessed to the crime, disclosed further details to the interrogation team.
According to the police, Habib revealed that his father — who has also been arrested on charges of aiding and abetting the murder — had said that it would cost only Rs50,000 to kill Wajiha.
Police said that Habib told interrogation officers that he killed his ex-wife Wajiha with a sharp instrument and shifted her body to Hangu.
They further said that Habib confessed to skillfully hiding Wajiha’s body in a car and taking it to a close relative’s house in Hangu.
They further said that the suspect told police that he had planned to seek asylum and citizenship in Poland after the murder, for which he had obtained a passport.
According to police sources, further physical remand of Habib will be obtained from the court.
On the other hand, sources within Swati’s family have confirmed that her body will be sent to the United States.
According to the sources, Wajiha’s children have refused to bury their mother’s body in Pakistan, due to which the US embassy officials are making arrangements to send the body to New York.
Swati’s body found in Lakki Marwat
The body of Wajiha Swati, who went missing from Rawalpindi in October, was found from Lakki Marwat, police said yesterday.
City Police Officer Rawalpindi Sajid Kiani, addressing a press conference, said that the case is under investigation and the police will not divulge too many details at this point.
Kiani did reveal some aspects that came to light during investigations, such as Swati arriving in Pakistan on October 16 and being received by her former husband Rizwan Habib.
He went on to say that three people — Habib, his father, and one other suspect — have been arrested in connection with the case.
The CPO said that Wajiha’s body was found from Lakki Marwat’s Pizu area and that it is being brought to Islamabad.
He said that further investigations are underway and more arrests are expected.
The police officer said that the probe team gathered sufficient evidence after which the arrests were made. He added that the US embassy sought details from the police owing to Swati being a US citizen.
“How the murder was carried out, what weapon was used, is something it would be too premature to comment on,” the CPO said.
He vowed that the police will ensure the culprits get their just desserts.
