KARACHI: Investigators have uncovered WhatsApp messages and calls demanding Rs20 million in ransom from Mustafa Amir’s mother during his disappearance, with Armaghan identified as the prime suspect, authorities revealed on Thursday. Police have included detailed statements from co-accused Shiraz Bukhari in the final charge sheet.
On Thursday, the investigation officer (IO) informed an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Karachi that forensic exhumation had confirmed Mustafa Amir had no traces of drugs in his system, dispelling earlier rumors and shifting the focus to the motive and timeline of his death.
Prosecutors plan to present a range of digital and forensic evidence, including WhatsApp logs, financial records, and vehicle-seizure documents, as the case moves forward to trial.
Mustafa Amir, a 23-year-old BBA student, went missing on January 6, 2025, after visiting a call center in Karachi’s Defence Housing Authority. Investigators claim Armaghan assaulted Amir with an iron rod, bound his body, placed it in a car boot, and set both the vehicle and Amir’s body on fire before returning to Karachi.
Armaghan was handed over to police for further physical remand in March, and crucial evidence was seized from his laptop and mobile phone. By April 5, police identified two of Armaghan’s employees, Rahim Bakhsh and Abdul Rahim, linked to the extortion plot. They found six SIM cards registered under their names, including one used by Armaghan, and connected a WhatsApp account named “Supreme Financial Associates” to the crime.
Bank accounts in the suspects’ names were also used for money laundering. The two men remain on the run.
In July, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) filed money-laundering charges against Armaghan, stating that he ran illegal call centers since 2018, generating \$300,000–\$500,000 per month through cryptocurrency, and laundered the proceeds. Authorities have frozen eight luxury vehicles purchased with these funds.
