The Rawalpindi Bench of the Lahore High Court has granted bail to Muhammad Ishaq alias Pir Khak, a resident of Chakora village in Chakwal, who is accused of murdering a man whose dismembered body was later recovered from a pond.

According to police, the suspect allegedly killed 34-year-old Imran Khan in the first week of March 2025. Investigators said the body was cut into pieces and dumped in a pond near the New Chakwal City Housing Society. The victim belonged to Mardan, while his family had been working for several years on agricultural land owned by the accused’s nephew.

Police recovered human body parts from the pond on March 23. Investigators further claimed that on March 8, the accused had lodged a robbery case against the deceased and his brothers in an alleged attempt to divert attention from the murder. In that case, the victim’s younger brother, Farmanullah, was arrested and remained in jail for more than two months.

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Following his release, Farmanullah sought DNA testing of the recovered remains. In October, forensic reports confirmed that the body parts belonged to Imran Khan. Subsequently, police arrested Muhammad Ishaq on October 14 and charged him with murder.

The prosecution told the court that the accused had confessed during interrogation, stating that he killed Imran Khan with a farming tool, dismembered the body, and disposed of the remains in the pond. Police also claimed recovery of the alleged murder weapon and some personal belongings of the deceased from the suspect.

Case records also pointed to an ongoing dispute between the accused and the victim following the killing of the accused’s nephew in 2023, which reportedly caused tensions between the two families.

After hearing arguments from both sides, Justice Sadaqat Ali of the LHC Rawalpindi Bench granted bail to the accused after approximately three months in custody.

The decision has raised concerns among the victim’s family. Speaking to the media, Farmanullah said the family was shocked by the grant of bail and would continue to pursue justice through legal means.