Unverified leaked audio suggests police favoured Armaghan in Mustafa Amir murder case

An unverified audio recording that is being circulated online and reported on in local media suggests police had been metting out special treatment to Armaghan, the prime suspect in the murder of 23-year-old Mustafa Amir.

The recording, which surfaced on Thursday, reportedly features Armaghan’s uncle, Asif Jamil Qureshi, in conversation with a senior police officer.

In the conversation Qureshi identifies himself as the establishment in charge under DIG CIA Muqaddas Haider. He claims in the recording that he had personally ensured Armaghan’s surrender and stayed with him for two hours at a bungalow prior his arrest.

The officer assures Qureshi that Armaghan would not be subjected to torture. He acknowledges that Armaghan was kept in a “good place” due to his uncle’s influence and that the same had been communicated to Armaghan.

The leaked audio also suggests that Qureshi had attempted to offer Rs500,000 to secure additional privileges for his nephew.

The officer is heard rejecting the amount, stating that Armaghan was not a “five-lakh party” and that a prison official had demanded Rs5 million for better conditions in jail.

Officials have yet to comment on the authenticity of the recording.

Mustafa Amir, 23, went missing from Karachi’s DHA on January 6, and it took police 39 days to determine that he had been murdered. His charred body was later discovered in Balochistan.

Armaghan, an acquaintance of the victim, was arrested on February 8 after a dramatic four-hour standoff, during which he opened fire on police, injuring a DSP and a constable.

The case exposed links to an alleged drug network, particularly involving cannabis trade, in which both the suspect and victim were reportedly engaged in. The investigation led to a police crackdown, resulting in the arrest of several individuals, including actor Sajid Hasan’s son, Sarim Hasan.

Amid the unfolding investigation, Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Nadeem of the Gizri police also came under scrutiny for his alleged ties with the suspect. Authorities revealed that ASI Nadeem had been in communication with Armaghan, which he claimed was related to ongoing investigations. However, suspicions arose that the officer may have helped shield Armaghan from legal consequences in a prior case.

While ASI Nadeem was questioned and later released, officials have stated that further inquiries may follow if necessary.

Additionally three police officers were suspended and demoted for mishandling the case.

Moreover, the Sindh High Court (SHC) has also ruled that the judicial remand of prime suspect Armaghan Qureshi and the formation of a joint investigation team (JIT)—both ordered earlier by the administrative judge of anti-terrorism courts (ATCs) in Karachi—were unlawful. The court recommended withdrawing the administrative powers from the judge, marking a rare rebuke of procedural decisions in a case already under intense public scrutiny.

Meanwhile, Asif Jamil Qureshi was among eight police officials accused in the alleged extrajudicial killing of Rasul Bakhsh Brohi, a laborer from Jamshoro, who was reportedly killed in a staged police encounter in Karachi’s Gadap area on July 12, 2006.

Following the incident, Brohi was falsely presented as notorious dacoit Mashooq Ali Brohi. The case was registered at Sakrand Police Station based on a complaint filed by his widow.

The accused included senior law enforcement officers, such as SP Chaudhry Aslam, DSP Irfan Bahadur, Inspector Ishaq Lashari, and Inspector Nasirul Hasan, along with officers Bahauddin Babar, Sarwar Commando, Nazeer Ahmed, and Asif Jamil Qureshi.

On July 31, 2008, the Sindh High Court (SHC), under Justice Khawaja Naveed Ahmed, acquitted all eight officers, citing lack of evidence. The ruling came after the prosecution’s key eyewitness failed to identify the accused, leading the court to dismiss the case.