Two girls killed as judge’s 16-year-old son crashes V8 in Islamabad

A 16-year-old son of an Islamabad High Court judge killed two young women in a high-speed crash while filming a Snapchat video, sparking outrage over underage driving, privilege, and delayed accountability.

WEBDESK – MediaBites – December 2, 2025

Pakistan is reeling from yet another tragedy involving reckless driving by the privileged, after the underage son of a sitting Islamabad High Court judge drove a speeding Land Cruiser into two young women on a scooter, killing both on the spot. The incident has ignited nationwide anger and renewed allegations that powerful families routinely escape accountability.

The fatal crash took place late Monday night at Islamabad’s busy Secretariat Chowk. According to the FIR, 16-year-old Abu Zar, son of Justice Muhammad Asif, rammed his white Land Cruiser into a scooter carrying Samreen Hussain and her friend Tabinda Batool, who were returning home from the Pakistan National Council of Arts. Both women were critically injured and later pronounced dead at the hospital.

Police say the teenager admitted he was recording a Snapchat video while driving and claimed he threw away his mobile phone after the accident—a key detail fueling suspicion that crucial digital evidence may already have been destroyed. Authorities also confirmed that the boy did not possess a driving licence.

A local court on Tuesday approved a four-day physical remand, handing him over to police. But journalists and civil society activists fear the case is already following a familiar script. Court reporter Saqib Bashir said attempts at a private “settlement” with the victims’ families have reportedly begun—echoing past hit-and-run cases involving children of influential officials.

The outrage intensified after comparisons surfaced with similar incidents. Just days earlier, in Lahore’s DHA Phase 6, the son of a wealthy family crushed two brothers during a late-night street race. Despite initial arrests, the story vanished from headlines amid whispers of monetary settlements and quiet interventions.

Adding to the controversy, journalist Owais Yousafzai reported that Justice Muhammad Asif has gone on medical leave, leading to the cancellation of his single- and division-bench cause lists.

Senior journalist Absar Alam drew parallels to the 2022 high-profile case involving Shanzeh Malik, daughter-in-law of a Supreme Court judge, who was acquitted in a double-fatality hit-and-run. “Nothing happened then, and nothing will happen now,” he wrote.

Public commentator Ehsan Wahid asked the question many are now repeating across social media:
“Will Justice Muhammad Asif deliver justice for the two daughters killed under his son’s car? And will he explain why an unlicensed, underage boy was handed a V8 to drive?”

As the investigation unfolds, Pakistan is once again confronting an agonizing truth: crackdowns and statements mean little when the powerful remain untouched.