Sheikh Amer Hassan, the designer and host of many of those social starry nights, was found dead in his apartment on Saturday morning. The man who loved to have his pictures spread out on the weekend tabloids would never have thought that his last would be the one attached with his obituary.
The news of his shocking murder hadn’t hit the headlines before it began doing the rounds of the closely knit fashion industry, shocking people out of their beds, much too early on a Saturday morning. People had just met him a night before at another designer’s home; others had seen him merrily dancing at a post fashion show party a night before. Other designers – who would rarely associate themselves with him as friends – were left speechless with the news. He wasn’t the most loved figure – his controversial lifestyle actually kept more people at bay than those who actually associated with him. But no one would wish such a death even on an enemy.
If you knew Amer and would like to offer your condolences or would like to voice your opinion on this tragic incident, please join the Facebook community created by Amer’s friends. Click Here.
As much as we hate to be graphic about this murder, we feel it is obligatory to talk about it as much as we can. This might lead the way towards justice… -Samina Amjad
Read on to know exactly what happened (Courtesy of thenews.com.pk)
Sallis Bin Perwaiz (The News)
The bullet-riddled, tortured body of Sheikh Amer Hassan, the world renowned Pakistani designer, was found early Saturday morning inside his house in Clifton police jurisdiction. He was apparently brutally tortured, after which four bullets were fired into his head.
The police said that a case was lodged on the complaint of Hassan’s brother Jalal Hassan Sheikh. The victim lived in Sheikh Villa, a building situated in Lane-3, Zamzama Street. His body was found on the mezzanine floor of the building. Hassan was single.
His driver-cum-servant, Tariq, said that he had been working with the deceased for the past many months and lived on the top floor of the building along with another servant. Hassan lived on the ground floor.
On Friday night, Hassan returned from work about 10:30 pm and told Tariq to not stay up because he would return home late from a party. He, however, told Tariq to wake him up around 10 a.m. the following (Saturday) morning because he had an early meeting.
Hassan came home at 3 am and went to sleep. At 10:00 a.m. Saturday, Tariq came to wake him up, and knocked at the door. On failing to get any response, he opened the door which incidentally had not been bolted on the inside. There being a power outage, he could not see clearly.
However, on further search, he found Hassan lying dead under the bed. His hands and feet were tied. Tariq said that he immediately ran outside the house and called Faisal, a close friend of Hassan’s, to inform him about the murder. Faisal immediately reached the house and called the local police who started conducting legal formalities.
The Investigating Officer present at the scene said that while reviewing the scene of the crime, it seemed that three or four criminals were involved, who after barging into the house, had some dispute with the deceased and after overpowering him, tied his hands, legs, and neck with the telephone wire.
Ostensibly, the deceased shouted or resisted whereby the killers stuffed his mouth with a piece of cloth and then shot him four times in the head before fleeing. The officer maintained that during the course of the investigation, it was disclosed that the deceased was going out with a girl. The two had had a fight four days earlier outside Hassan’s house, but the dispute was resolved by friends.
SSP Clifton Town Azad Khan said that the deceased went to a party in Defence on Friday night, and returned home around 3:30 or 4 a.m. Some friends reportedly dropped him off.
SSP Khan further said that nothing was broken or damaged inside Hassan’s room, but the criminals had taken away the victim’s wallet and cellphone. The police collected fingerprints from glasses and other equipment.
The SSP maintained that the criminals had also taken away the empty cartridges of the bullets fired so as not to leave any evidence.
Hassan’s family currently lives in Lahore. After hearing of the murder, his brother, Jalal, came over from Multan to take his body. The post-mortem has been conducted and further investigations are under way.
Source: Skoop
Here’s what Jang News reported later:
Firstly, there is no way on earth that Mr Sheikh Amer Hassan is the 32 years old that he has been reported as. If you check his own website SAH-London.com you can easily make out that if he was born in 1976 as would be the case had he been 32 years old, it would make him 12 when attending The Bournville College of Art etc. Clearly Sheikh Amer Hassan’s age is closer to 42 than to 32 however that is a minor detail.
The night of the alleged rape apparently Mr Hassan had been drinking and dancing the night away with his “set” at Shayanne Malik’s swinging bash. He returned to the Sheikh Villa “loaded with alcolhol” according to the police report. How can a man so drunk be capable of performing rape upon anyone IF they are as drunk as they have been described? secondly ANYONE who has knows Sheikh Amer since 2002 would be retarded not to also know of the mans reputation as the “Liberace” of the Pakistani Gay scene. I hardly think it would have come as a shock to either Murdering Awan brother that the man was interested in men. Clearly they knew as much and were also taking advantage of a situation. The obvious exploitation taking place was not a one way street as the Awan’s must have known that Sheikh Amer had a sexual interest in at least one of them. How could a young man of 19 allow who is not drunk nor restrained, allow himself to be “raped” unless it was consensual? Clearly, the murder was planned and not the result of the rage of a young man who had been exploited and raped. This was a brutal and calculated crime and anyone coming over to Sheikh Villa to see Sheikh Amer at 3am in the morning MUST have known exactly what to expect. The killers were cold hearted, brutal and bigoted animals who should be locked up for ever. After all if everyone was to murder everyone who had made a pass at them, then the entire Pakistani population would be dead.
This was a hate crime and deserveds to be treated with the contempt the perpetrators deserve. Sheikh Amer was no angel but anyone who knew anything about this man, would surely have known that unless they lived in a delusional world.
Excellent comment! You have made some very valid points. I wish everyone started thinking rationally like this.
I have known pakistani gay scene a bit through my last visit in pak, and there is not as such prescribed homosexual scene, loads of young lad in search of modeling and tv offers are willing to do each and everything.
Not knowing much of hassan´s case but one thing is sure, he cannot be raper.
i ve met him a few times in london and this person cannot be have such fantasies or ideas..
Hamza lad is liar.. he should be punished for his deed, and pakistani people should be taught to respect each others choices
As much as I like to say that Sheikh Amer Hassan is a good man and he was this and that. Well all I got to say is that there are two sides to each story and if the kid says he got raped then we gotta look into that as well. Now the Pakistani gay scene is a first for me because I never have come into contact with such people. But wow…I know for a fact that all in the fashion industry are gay but it would be different in Pakistan but hey I guess gayness see’s no boundaries. But regardless of his sexual orientation no person should be victimized for rape. People who commit these unspeakable horrors should be punished by death. I just don’t see why things have dramatically changed in Pakistan and we’re forgetting that this is a Muslim nation and when we’re trying to copy the West and India all the time it doesn’t look good on us. Say what you want but reality is “Yeh cheezay humain shobah nahin dey tee”!
The guy was a complete manipulator. I personally knew him and know a couple of guys whom he has raped and blackmailed. but they arent the killer sort so they didnt do anything.
besides that..he deserved to be tortured. he used and abused and KARMA played its role!
Mr Omer Khan how would you like it if your brother is forced to sleep with a guy…i am sure you would put 8 bullets in the dude’s head….its very easy to sit in your comfy room and write comments calling such acts as crime…..no matter how GORA you try to act you are still a desi with desi value to get your grip right…..homosexuality itself is strongly prohibited is ISLAM….please yaaar leave that “freedom of choice”gora shit
This is very sad and people should not take the law in their own hands however what amer did was also not a good deed.
This guy was pedophile, pederast and a child molestor. If this world could be a better place without any single person it would be him.
he got wad he rightly deserved…all such molesters must b taught a lesson!
Everybody knows that Pakistan is a land of hypocrits. When abroad the majority of Pakistanis will recognize rights of whoever, when at home they close their eyes to reality. No doubt, Hamza knew what he was doing, when he came to Sheikh Amer’s place at 3 a.m. And I don’t believe it was the first time he went there… the relationship was much longer.
He got what he deserved, im sure hes having a nice time in his grave along with his brothers of Lut
How many others like him are getting away. I feel so sad there are young guys like Saad being manipulated and molested.
Perhaps some good will come of his demise.
I new him as ‘Amer Hassan’ and Sheikh was their caste.
I know everyone who knew him is aware what he was, but chose to ignore? Pakistans social circle is full of them, they are accepted because it makes them look cool.
They have lost the plot!
Far ooq sir! either you are naive, or you don’t want to accept the facts. You have heard of a phrase ‘No one can judge a book by its cover’. His outer persona no doubt was polished, well mannered, soft spoken, and of course he was attentive. Perhaps he made you feel special. On the contrary he was a very confused and lonely person. Ruthless in attaining his success, and exploiting whoever came in his way. BELIEVE!
its a lesson for all the gay community n even for those who support them……….
he had written abt his sexual orientation on orkut n then chnaged afterwards…..we r no know one to decide but Allah knows best…
I knew this story m totally convinced that this guy sh Amir tried to rape Hamza who was unaware of his desire’s got raged came back along with his younger brother and with an intention of just harassing him killed in the process .Amir deserved this as his house has been visited by people like Begum Nawazish & others regularly if I woud get a chance to pass by his grave I will have a definite kick at him.
as u sow, so shall u reap