RAWALPINDI (Web Desk) - The postmortem examination of a 45-year-old woman who was found dead in an apartment in Rawalpindi has revealed multiple bruises on her body and a ruptured hyoid bone, according to the medico-legal report prepared at Benazir Bhutto Hospital.
Hina Javed was found dead in the bathroom of an apartment in the Lal Kurti area of Rawalpindi on Thursday morning in circumstances that have raised questions about the cause of her death.
According to her brother, Fahad Javed Malik, Hina was found with both hands tied behind her back with a piece of cloth and her mouth gagged. He told police that a wire was wrapped around her neck and attached to the bathroom shower, while foam and blood were reportedly coming from her mouth.
The victim’s family has accused her husband, Faisal Asghar Imam, his domestic worker, Zeeshan Arshad, and his father, Asghar Ali Fayyaz, of involvement in her death. Police have taken Imam and Arshad into custody for questioning.
According to the police complaint, Malik alleged that Imam had subjected his sister to repeated physical and psychological abuse. He further alleged that Imam had also mistreated his previous wife.
Hina married Imam in November 2025.
The postmortem was conducted on August 20 at 2:50pm at Benazir Bhutto Hospital in Rawalpindi. The examination was carried out by medico-legal examiner Dr Marya Khalid.
The report documented “multiple bruises” on the upper and lower limbs and the right iliac fossa, while also noting that the hyoid bone had ruptured.
The hyoid is a small, crescent-shaped bone located in the front of the neck, below the lower jaw. The postmortem examination also recorded a 27-centimetre ligature mark around her neck.
DNA samples were collected from the body and handed over to police, while additional samples were sent for forensic examination to help establish the cause of death.
The medico-legal report stated that a final opinion regarding the cause of death would be issued after the Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA) provides its laboratory findings.
Police have registered a case under Sections 302 and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code, relating to murder and acts committed by multiple people with a common intention. Investigators have also collected evidence from the apartment as part of the ongoing investigation.
The case comes amid continuing concerns over violence against women in Pakistan, with rights groups and authorities repeatedly highlighting that domestic and gender-based violence affects women across social and economic backgrounds.
The allegations against the suspects have yet to be proven in court, and the final cause and manner of Hina’s death will depend on the forensic findings and the outcome of the police investigation.