Accused in Dr Maha case denies drugs, torture allegations

KARACHI : An accused in Dr Maha murder case, Junaid Khan on Monday rejected allegations against him over forcing Dr Maha Ali Shah to commit suicide and blamed that she committed suicide over a family dispute. Speaking during a presser, Junaid Khan said that Maha developed differences with her father after he sold out a piece of land owned by her. “She wanted to purchase her own house after selling this piece of land owned jointly by Maha and her mother,” he claimed and added that she was an independent woman and had said that she does not need her father. When coronavirus pandemic hit the country, Maha’s father forcefully took her to Mirpurkhas, Junaid Khan claimed. Speaking regarding the incident, he said that eye-witnesses have told police that they heard a quarrel before gunshot from the house. “Even her father did not allow post-mortem of the body,” he said. The accused said that as soon as media reported differences between Maha and her father, Pir Asif Shah appeared before media to clear his name. “Even statements from her father are conflicting,” he said while denying that he had ever tortured Dr Maha. He said that he had known the victim from the past four years and she had presented him gifts on Valentine Days and birthdays. He further rejected allegations of providing drugs to girls and said that neither he is involved in any such activity nor any such complaint is registered against him in the past. “Dr Maha never took drugs,” he said while demanding drug test of her brother, Nad-e-Ali, claiming that he used to take drugs inside his home.