Five-member committee to investigate Naqeeb’s killing

KARACHI: After the registration of a murder case against Malir SSP Rao Anwar and his team at Sachchal police station on the basis of findings of a three-member inquiry committee, Sindh Inspector General of Police Allah Dino Khawaja on Friday formed a five-member investigation body to look into the ‘staged encounter’ of Naseemullah Mehsud alias Naqeebullah.

Sindh Additional IG Aftab Pathan is head of the investigation team while two senior investigation officers and as many district police chiefs are members.

On January 13, Naqeebullah and three others were killed in an alleged encounter with the Malir police team, headed by SSP Anwar.



“With the approval of the competent authority, the investigation of FIR No 40/18 under Sections 365/302/344/109/34 of the Pakistan Penal Code read with 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act registered with Sacchal police station is hereby assigned under the supervision of Aftab Pathan, Additional IGP Sindh, who shall be assisted by district South SSP Javed Akbar Riaz, East Zone-I Investigation SSP Zulfiqar Ali Mehar, Malir SSP Adeel Hussain Chandio and Malir Investigations-II SP Abid Hussain Qaimkhani to carry out investigation on merit,” reads a copy of the order available with The Express Tribune.

The order further states, “SP Qaimkhani shall be the investigation officer and personally conduct an investigation of the case for early detection, impartial investigation and finalisation on merits.”

The order was issued by Sindh AIG Operations Tanveer Alam Odho.

Earlier, the Sindh IGP had constituted a three-member inquiry team, headed by Counter-Terrorism Department Additional IG Sanaullah Abbasi, to probe the case. The inquiry team held SSP Anwar and his entire team responsible for killing innocent Naqeebullah in a fake encounter. A murder case against SSP Anwar and his team was registered at the Sacchal police station.

Since then, SSP Anwar and his team members are on the run. Three days have passed since the registration of the murder case but investigators have not yet been able to arrest SSP Anwar.

However, in multiple raids, the police have detained nine suspected policemen who are believed to be a part of SSP Anwar’s team.

Sources privy to the investigation said that the police investigators raided New Sabzi Mandi police post and took its in-charge Sub Inspector Mohammad Yaseen into custody and later detained around eight more cops on his information.

Earlier, three cops, including Abbas Town police post in-charge Akbar Mallah - who was believed to be behind the abduction of Naqeebullah - and Raees and Imran, were detained by the investigation team.



According to police sources, the trio confessed to the crime and vowed to become approvers in the case. The detained cops have been shifted to undisclosed locations for further questioning.

Senior police investigators said that some of the detained cops were also released but their cellphones had been seized, adding that they were also trying to trace the location of SSP Anwar.

The entire Malir district police team - from head constables to superintendents of police - has been removed by police high ups. These officials and personnel were believed to be part of SSP Anwar’s team.

SSP Anwar claimed to the media that a protest was held in Afghanistan in favour of Naqeebullah after Friday prayers.

He further claimed that the protest was organised by members of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban.