Naqeebullah’s case: Rao Anwar given in police custody for one-month

ATC directs police to present the former SSP on April 21, along with progress report

KARACHI: Sindh Police’s former SSP Rao Anwar, who surrendered to the apex court on Wednesday after fleeing from authorities for nine weeks, was remanded on Thursday by an anti-terrorism court (ATC) to police for one month in a case of alleged killing of a tribal youth in faked encounter in Karachi.

The ATC judge gave the police officer to police till April 21 for investigation into the killing. Anwar was flown to Karachi on Wednesday night after his arrest from the Supreme Court’s premises in Islamabad.

The former SSP Malir and his 10 arrested and 14 absconding subordinates were booked for allegedly abducting Naqeebullah Mehsud on January 7 and killing him along with three others on January 13 after non-payment of ransom.

The suspended SSP and his team had also framed Naqeeb and three other deceased – Mohammad Sabir, Nazar Jan and Mohammad Ishaq – in explosives and illicit weapons cases.

On Thursday, the investigating officer (IO) SSP Abid Qaimkhani presented the suspect before the ATC-II amid strict security arrangements after the trial court dismissed his application to give sometime for his production before the high court.

The police brought Anwar before the ATC in an armoured personnel carrier (APC) and the IO sought the custody of former SSP for 30 days to interrogate him on the ground that his production before the court would be a security risk.



The court handed the suspect over to police on physical remand till April 21, directing the IO to produce him again along with a progress report at the next hearing. The reporters were not allowed to witness the court proceedings. Earlier, the trial court had also issued warrant for the arrest of Rao Anwar.

DSP Qamar Shaikh, sub-inspector Mohammad Yasin, assistant-sub-inspectors Supurd Hussain and Allahyar, head constables Khizar Hayat and Mohammad Iqbal and constables Arshad Ali, Shafiq Ahmed, Abdul Ali and Ghulam Nazak are already in jail custody in the case.

However, Shah Latif Town former SHO Amanullah Marwat, SITE Superhighway police station former SHO Annar Khan, Soharb Goth former SHO Shoaib Shaikh and 11 other police officials are still at large.

The Supreme Court on January 27 ordered Sindh’s Inspector General of Police (IGP) Allah Dino Khawaja to arrest Anwar and to present him before the court in three days.



The Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar had passed this order after a joint investigation team (JIT) formed to probe into the incident declared that the so-called encounter in which Naqeeb was killed was ‘staged’.

The police had carried out multiple raids to arrest him but failed. Later the court, responding to his letter to the CJP, had also offered him some concession if he voluntary appeared before the SC. However, Anwar did not appear prompting the court on Monday to warn that his facilitators would not be spared.

But on Wednesday, Anwar arrived at the Supreme Court and surrendered to authorities, as the apex court rejected his protective bail. The SC ordered the constitution of a new five-member JIT to probe the case.  Sindh AIG Aftab Pathan will preside over the team. Other members include Zulfiqar Larak, Dr Rizwan, Azad Ahmed Khan and Waliullah.

The court also ordered IGP Allah Dino Khawaja to ensure Anwar’s safety during police custody and took an undertaking from Naqeebullah’s relatives that they would not harm Anwar directly or indirectly. The SC also directed to keep Anwar’s name on the Exit Control List (ECL).