Another four days of police custody await Saad Abbasi, the man accused of killing Pakistan Air Force Group Captain Asim Tariq. The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Islamabad made that call on Monday, rejecting a longer request from prosecutors who say they still need time to complete their investigation. Main Developments Duty ATC Judge Rakhshanda Shaheen handed down the ruling after hearing arguments from both sides. The extension runs for four days, with police directed to bring the suspect back to court on August 7. Read also: Fishermen Return to Sea as High Costs Threaten New Season Prosecutor Raja Naveed Hussain Kiani had asked for considerably more time. He requested a 20-day extension, pointing to the recovery of the pistol allegedly used in the murder as a key piece of evidence requiring further scrutiny. Additional investigation steps, including a polygraph test for the accused, were cited as reasons for the longer request. The court reserved its verdict before settling on the shorter four-day period. Background This marks the second time Abbasi's physical remand has been extended. The latest decision came as the previous seven-day remand expired, prompting police to present him before the judge again. The underlying case stems from a killing that shook the capital. Group Captain Asim Tariq was murdered on July 5 in the jurisdiction of Margalla Police Station, near Shaheen Chowk, a busy area of Islamabad. Why It Matters Physical remand decisions in high-profile cases carry weight beyond the individual suspect. Each extension signals how thoroughly investigators are building their case against a defendant accused of killing a senior military officer. For the public, the repeated extensions highlight the balance courts must strike between granting police the tools to gather evidence and protecting a suspect's rights. The recovered weapon and planned lie-detection test suggest prosecutors are still assembling the forensic chain of evidence. What's Next Police will hold Abbasi for the next four days before the next scheduled court appearance on August 7. At that hearing, prosecutors may either seek yet another extension or present charges if they believe the investigation has reached a sufficient stage. Whether the polygraph test will be completed within the shortened remand window remains an open question. The court's decision to grant less than a quarter of the requested time suggests judicial scrutiny of the pace of the police investigation.