Catching Rao Anwar

1. Corrupt officers and the force

If it weren’t for the media – especially social, internet – glare that brought the Naqeebullah staged encounter case to the Chief Justice’s notice, Rao Anwar would most likely still be quietly adding to his staggering list of 444 suspects killed in 745 police encounters in Malir district alone between 2011 and 2018. That his trend, even as it reached such a high number, did not raise any red flags within the police force doesn’t even come as a surprise anymore considering how corrupt, inefficient and incompetent it has become. The only time this force can act tough, unfortunately, is when it shoots at unarmed protestors or kills innocent people in dark rooms in fake encounters.

Its credibility has once again come into question as it appears clueless about the whereabouts of Rao Anwar. Even as he’s declared an absconder, with an arrest warrant and the CJ’s three deadline, the police just seems groping in the dark. And it does its reputation no favours that the electronic media has been far more successful in tracing him, since he’s been on prime time talk shows night after night; rubbishing the official narrative and refusing to surrender.

Perhaps the CJ will, in due course, look beyond this particular case and the culture of police high headedness, encounters and inside corruption and realise the need for urgent police reforms. There’s no better example than Rao Anwar of the police force’s reputation of taking the law into its own hands, especially because certain senior officers are allegedly close to certain powerful politicians. From the common man’s point of view, the police represents fear and oppression far more than law and order. Yet, for the moment, the priority must be apprehending Rao Anwar, separating fact from fiction, and ensuring suitable punishment is awarded to those that take lives and then hide behind the uniform.