Journalist Ali Salman Alvi arrested in wife's alleged murder

ISLAMABAD: The Rawalpindi Police has arrested journalist Ali Salman Alvi on suspicion of being involved in wife’s murder, it emerged on Wednesday.

The police confirmed the development in a statement today and promised a detailed investigation of the case.

According to an FIR registered on June 29, Alvi has been accused by his sister-in-law, Mahwish Zahra, of murdering his wife and covering it up as a suicide.

Rawalpindi Police, in response to a question posed by anchor Arshad Sharif on Twitter regarding the case, said that "justice will be ensured most definitely".

"The case is being investigated thoroughly, and evidence being closely analyzed. CPO @AhsanPSP and Rawalpindi Police have 'time and again' exhibited our absolute zero tolerance against abuse on women & children," tweeted Rawalpindi Police's official Twitter account.

Another journalist pointed out that Alvi was working as the producer of a current affairs programme hosted by anchor Asma Shirazi, to which Shirazi responded by saying that he had been fired after the thread detailing his alleged domestic abuse had been shared on Twitter.

"I was shocked and numbed the moment I got to know about the incident and FIR, not just myself but media group I’m working with strictly condemned and terminated accused," Shirazi tweeted. "Read Sadaf’s thread in morning whom I never met but am heartbroken. #RIPSadaf Justice must prevail #JusticeForZahra."

Mahwish accuses Alvi of murdering her sister

An FIR was registered under Section 302 (punishment for murder) on June 29 on behalf of the victim's sister, Mahwish.

Mahwish said in the complaint that she had rushed to her sister's place in Yousuf Colony, along with her mother and husband, after she received a call from Alvi telling her that "Sadaf has done something to herself".

When she arrived at her sister's house, Alvi opened the front door and all other doors in the house were closed. She opened a room in the house to find her sister hanging from the ceiling fan.

Mahwish stated in the FIR that she pulled her sister down from the fan and untied her, only to find that she had already died.

Mahwish subsequently accused Alvi of murdering his wife, alleging that he had beaten up Sadaf multiple times over the years and had tortured her as well.

She claimed that he had been warned against the abuse several times but he did not desist.