KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) issued the order of release of former Malir Senior Superintendent Police (SSP) Rao Anwar on Saturday after earlier granting him bail in the case involving the extrajudicial murder of Naqeebullah Mehsud.
On January 13, Naqeebullah – among four others – was killed in a fake encounter after which then Malir SSP Anwar had claimed that those killed belonged to the terrorist outfit Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Anwar is alleged of issuing the orders of the encounter and placement of pistols and hand grenades on victims’ bodies.
Anwar went into hiding soon after demands for his arrest in the Naqeebullah murder case gained traction after it came to light that the victim had been a shopkeeper and aspiring model from Waziristan who had settled in Karachi.
Protests staged by the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement and Mehsud tribe lent impetus to the call for justice for Naqeebullah.
‘ENCOUNTER WAS STAGED’:
In March, the Supreme Court had wrapped up the suo motu case of the staged encounter of Naqeebullah and issued a four-page verdict directing the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to carry out the investigation swiftly without any pressure.
The written order also stated that the JIT needs to stay independent and indifferent to media reports. A joint investigation team made for the incident found that the encounter was staged.
ARREST AND RELEASE:
Anwar resurfaced dramatically at the Supreme Court after repeated pleas from the chief justice, after which he was subsequently arrested.
Soon after his arrest, his house in Malir Cantonment was declared a sub-jail. He had later moved an application for provision of ‘Better Class’ facilities in the sub-jail. The court had accepted Anwar’s application for facilities, including an exemption from being handcuffed.
The extrajudicial killing of Naqeebullah and others, and foisting pistols and hand grenades on them after killing them in a staged shootout in Shah Latif Town are the two cases against him.
Ex-SSP Anwar was granted bail in the first and second cases on July 10 and July 20, respectively. In both cases, the court reasoned that he could not be kept under arrest since he was not present at the time of the encounter.
