Wanted SSP Rao Anwar denies police raid on any of his houses

• Denies rumours of fleeing the country, says he’s in Pakistan

• Also denies rumours of using property magnate Malik Riaz’s plane

ISLAMABAD: Absconding police official Rao Anwar has denied reports of a raid conducted on a house in Islamabad’s F-10 vicinity earlier on Tuesday.

“The house raided in Islamabad’s F-10 vicinity is not mine, none of my houses was raided,” said Anwar in a statement. “The raid conducted was on House-133, Street-43, Sector F-10, which is owned by Waqas Raffat son of Malik Raffat Hussain.”

He also denied rumours of fleeing the country and using property magnate Malik Riaz’s aeroplane.

“I have not fled the country, I am in Pakistan,” he told Geo News. “I am sending an appeal for justice to the Chief Justice of Pakistan.”

Anwar alleged that the police had noted the incorrect time of his arrival at the police encounter.

“I have not even seen Malik Riaz’s plane [let alone use it], these are all baseless allegations,” he said, adding that he was not hiding in Bilawal House either.

“I have no such terms with Asif Ali Zardari to take asylum at Bilawal House,” Anwar said, adding that the Pakistan Peoples Party [PPP] Co-Chairman had never asked him to carry out any unlawful tasks.

Anwar claimed that he ‘does not even own a cycle’ and stated that he only has one bank account in the National Bank of Pakistan.

“Why would I pay income tax when I only earn Rs100,000 [per month],” he said. “I don’t even own a bicycle.”

“I have just one account in the National Bank of Pakistan where my salary is deposited,” he said. “I have already withdrawn approximately Rs1.1million from my General Provident Fund.”

The capital city’s police have remained unsuccessful in producing the suspended SSP Malir after a deadline given by the Supreme Court expired today.

However, investigation officials have claimed that the house raided, as per the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) record, is owned by the suspended Malir SSP.

Earlier, a police team comprising officials of the Islamabad and Karachi police departments on Tuesday raided a house in the city’s F-10 vicinity in search of suspended Karachi police officer Rao Anwar but remained unsuccessful in arresting him, as the deadline given by the Supreme Court expired on Tuesday.

The former Senior Superintendent of Police Malir is wanted by the authorities in connection with the murder of Naqeebullah Mehsud — who along with four suspected terrorists — was killed in a fake encounter with a police team led by Anwar on January 13 in Karachi’s Shah Latif Town.

The house, located in Islamabad’s F-10 area, does not belong to Rao Anwar and no one was found at the premises when the raid was conducted, said police sources.

Anwar and the raiding police party officials went into hiding soon after an inquiry committee was formed, following claims of innocence from Naqeebullah’s family. An FIR was registered against the suspended SSP and his associates, owing to their no-show and alleged involvement in the case.

The committee, headed by Counter-Terrorism Department Additional IG Sanaullah Abbasi, submitted its report on the case to the Supreme Court on Friday, which stated that Naqeebullah was killed in a ‘fake encounter’ with the police.

Meanwhile, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Sindh AD Khawaja Sunday wrote a letter to intelligence agencies, seeking their help in arresting Anwar.

The Sindh IGP has requested the intelligence agencies to provide technical and intelligence assistance.

The letter for assistance reads that Anwar reached Islamabad through a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight on the morning of January 20 and attempted to flee to Dubai on January 23, but was barred from doing so by immigration officials.

Meanwhile, a man who allegedly announced a Rs5 million head money for Anwar on Facebook was remanded into police custody for two days to be transferred from Rawalpindi to Karachi. The remand was granted by the anti-terrorism court (ATC) Judge Sulaiman Baig.

‘NO ACCUSED MORE POWERFUL THAN LAW’:

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said an inquiry committee was constituted in Naqeebullah case which gave its report within 48 hours and following its recommendations the action has been taken in true letter and spirit.

He was speaking to media in Karachi after the launch of European Union-assisted Programme for Improved Nutrition in Sindh.

Responding to a question, the chief minister said that he doesn’t know where Rao Anwar is hiding, but “I know that no accused is more powerful than the law”.

He added that the police were working hard to arrest Anwar, and all other provincial governments and agencies have been requested to help.