KARACHI: Three policemen allegedly involved in the extrajudicial killing of Waziristan resident Naqeebullah Mehsud were identified by eyewitnesses in court on Wednesday.
Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Allahyar, head constable Muhammad Iqbal and constable Arshad Ali were produced before a judicial magistrate in Malir.
Both witnesses were arrested by the former Malir senior superintendent of police (SSP) Rao Anwar — who is currently absconding — along with Naqeebullah and two of his friends. However, they were both released on January 6 after reportedly bribing the cops, while Naqeebullah and three others were killed in a staged encounter on January 13.
Muhammad Iqbal told the court that he had performed “general duty” and “stayed at the checkpoint”, but the eyewitnesses told the court that he had been standing right next to the police van when they were arrested. The court also was told that Arshad Ali was in the police vehicle that took the witnesses from Sher Agha Hotel to the Sachal police checkpoint. Arshad told the court that the witnesses had seen his clothes and he wished to change. When the magistrate allowed it, the policeman changed his clothes.
The witnesses told the court that Allahyar had arrived in plainclothes at the hotel they were arrested from and was a part of the police party that apprehended them.
Allahyar rejected their claims, however, claiming that the witnesses’ statements were “not correct”. The court asked him if had objections over being paraded for identification to which he replied in the negative.
The officers were shifted to the Sachal police station after the identification parade. The three men are among the six policemen who have been sent on remand by a sessions court on January 28.
Sub-inspector Mohammad Yasin, ASI Supurd Hussain and head constable Khizar Hayat were also produced before the administrative judge by Senior Superintendent Police Investigations Malir Abid Ali Qaimkhani, who is investigating the case, to secure their remand.
The investigation officer (IO) informed the court that the suspects were arrested on Jan 26. He said that during initial questioning, the detained suspects had disclosed that they were part of a team which killed Naqeebullah Mehsud in the ‘fake encounter’ and their absconding accomplices were also involved in the extrajudicial killing.
The IO sought their custody for two weeks in order to produce them before a judicial magistrate for an identification parade, the arrest of absconding officials, and further investigation of the case.
According to the remand paper of the officers, Naqeebullah, hailing from Waziristan, was picked up along with his two friends on Jan 3 near a hotel on Abul Hassan Isfahani Road by eight to nine plainclothed subordinates of Rao Anwar.
The other two detainees were set free on Jan 6, while the whereabouts of Naqeebullah remained unknown and his cell phone was also found powered off as the former SSP allegedly kept him in wrongful detention, it added.
It further stated that on Jan 17, the relatives of the deceased came to know through the media that Rao Anwar and his associates had allegedly killed Naqeebullah and three others in a staged encounter in Shah Latif Town, adding that the provincial police officer had constituted a three-member inquiry committee, comprising seniors police officials, to probe the incident, and the committee had found Anwar and his associates involved in the case.
Sindh Home Minister Sohail Anwar Siyal and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had taken notice of Mehsud’s death following uproar on social media over the alleged staged encounter.
An inquiry committee, formed by Inspector General of Police (IGP) Sindh A.D Khowaja, concluded that Naqeebullah did not have links to any militant outfit and was killed extra-judicially. The investigation report led to Khowaja removing Anwar from his post as SSP Malir on January 20.
The next day, the Supreme Court of Pakistan also took suo motu notice of the incident. Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar had asked the Sindh IGP to submit a report on the matter within seven days.
After the staged encounter on Jan 13, the police had described Mehusd and three other deceased as ‘Taliban militants’ and also registered a case against them under Sections 353 (criminal assault to deter public servant from discharge his duty), 324 (attempt to commit murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code and Sections ¾ of the Explosives Substances Act, 1908 read with Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 at the Shah Latif Town police station.
A case against Rao Anwar and his associates was registered on Jan 23 under sections 302 (premeditated murder), 365 (kidnapping with intent secretly and wrongfully to confine person), 344 (wrongful confinement for ten or more day), 109 (abetment) and 34 (common intention) of the PPC read with Section 7 of the ATA on the complaint of the deceased’s father Mohammad Khan at the Sachal police station.
Rao Anwar remains on the run.
When there is a will there is a way. The way this case is going it is apparent Police and other agencies have not put in kind of efforts that they usually go with to apprehend other such killers from the citizens. He is definitely been hiding under some big gun and will apparently flee out one day. Long Live Pakistan.
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