Rao Anwar, seven others named in FIR of Naqeeb’s murder

• Anwar says he did not try to escape country, terms media reports wrong 

KARACHI: Police on Wednesday registered an FIR [First Information Report] in the ‘extrajudicial’ murder of Naqeebullah Mehsud against suspended Malir senior superintendent police (SSP) Rao Anwar and seven other policemen at Sachal police station in Karachi.

The case has been registered on the complaint of Muhammad Khan Mehsud, Naqeebullah’s father, incorporating terrorism, kidnapping and murder charges.

According to the FIR, Naqeebullah alongside two other men named as Qasim and Hazrat Ali were picked up by policemen in plain clothes on January 3 at the behest of Rao Anwar from Abul Hasan Ispahani road around 3:00 pm.

The other two men were released after three days on January 6 but Naqeebullah’s whereabouts remained unknown until the news of his killing in a fake police encounter started making rounds on social media, the FIR added.

It has been learnt that the two men have now become eye-witnesses in the case and documented their statements before the inquiry committee.

Both witnesses have accused police personnel of taking a bribe for their release.

On Tuesday, the federal government placed the name of former SSP Malir Rao Anwar on the Exit Control List (ECL), as the inquiry committee probing into the alleged police encounter of South Waziristan resident Naqeebullah found no evidence of the deceased’s involvement in terrorism.

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court (SC) had also summoned Rao Anwar, Sindh IG AD Khowaja and the Sindh advocate general.

ANWAR REJECTS REPORTS REGARDING ATTEMPT TO FLEE COUNTRY:

Earlier, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) thwarted Rao Anwar’s attempt to flee the country from the Benazir Bhutto International Airport in Islamabad.

However, Anwar told a private media outlet said the reports being aired on the media regarding his attempted escape from the country were false. He claimed that he did not attempt to go to Dubai and added that he could leave whenever he wants to meet his children.

He reiterated his claim that he was not involved in the police encounter of Naqeebullah and those who were involved should be investigated.

In the wee hours of Tuesday, suspended Malir SSP Rao Anwar had tried to flee the country from Benazir Bhutto International Airport at 1:35pm allegedly with the help of some officials belonging to an intelligence agency, but was offloaded by FIA Islamabad, sources privy to the development revealed.

The official providing him protocol had been identified by FIA officials via CCTV footage; however, his identity had been kept a secret and FIA officials remained tight-lipped over the matter.

‘NAQEEBULLAH WAS INNOCENT’:

Sindh Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) Additional Inspector General Police (IGP) Dr Sanaullah Abbasi said that the death of Naqeebullah Mehsud was an extrajudicial killing.

Abbasi, the head of the three-member team investigating Naqeebullah’s killing in an ‘encounter’, was talking to protesters comprising members of the Mehsud tribe at Sohrab Goth. He said that Naqeebullah was innocent and was killed in a fake encounter.

“This was a fake encounter in which an innocent man was killed,” Abbasi said. “Whoever is involved in the encounter will be brought to justice.”

“No one will be allowed to kill extrajudicially,” he added.

Members of jirga were also present in the meeting between the investigation team and the deceased’s family.