A young man who returned to Pakistan from Saudi Arabia to visit his parents was brutally murdered in Karachi, with his own cousin allegedly involved in the killing. The suspects reportedly demanded Rs700,000 from the victim’s family to make the murder appear to be a kidnapping for ransom. Police have arrested two suspects, including the victim’s cousin, and recovered the young man’s body.
According to details, the body of 23-year-old Zain-ul-Abideen, who went missing from Karachi’s Steel Town area on October 14, was recovered from bushes near Gulshan-e-Hadeed. The victim worked as a tailor in Saudi Arabia and had recently returned to Pakistan to visit his parents.
Police said Zain-ul-Abideen left home on a motorcycle on October 14 but did not return. His family searched for him and subsequently registered a kidnapping case at Steel Town Police Station.
According to the victim’s father, Muhammad Khan, unidentified individuals contacted the family after his son went missing and demanded Rs700,000 for his release. The family took the money to the location specified by the alleged kidnappers, but no one was present there.
The father further stated that the suspects had thrown his son’s slippers and mobile phone outside their house and continued issuing threats to kill him.
Police officials said the alleged kidnappers went to extreme lengths to pressure the family, even sending them a severed human hand. Police took the hand into custody and sent it for DNA testing to verify its identity.
During the investigation, police detained the victim’s cousin, Faisal, who allegedly confessed to killing Zain-ul-Abideen during interrogation, according to police. Another suspected individual has also been taken into custody.
Investigative sources said preliminary findings suggested that Zain-ul-Abideen and his cousin Faisal had an argument over a girl. A girl was reportedly present with the two men at the time of the incident, and a dispute allegedly broke out over the recording of a video.
According to the sources, Faisal allegedly attacked Zain-ul-Abideen during the altercation, resulting in his death.
Police said that after the murder, the suspects placed the body in a sack and dumped it at an isolated location. They allegedly attempted to portray the incident as a kidnapping for ransom to divert attention from the actual crime.
Investigators said the victim’s body was recovered following information provided by the suspect. Further investigations are underway to establish the motive behind the murder and determine whether other individuals were involved.
Police are also investigating the girl’s alleged role and the circumstances surrounding the dispute. The responsibility of all those involved will be determined after the investigation is completed.
Zain-ul-Abideen had been living in Saudi Arabia for employment and returned to Pakistan to spend time with his family. However, he was murdered just days after returning to his homeland.
