KARACHI: Karachi Bar Association (KBA) on Tuesday condemned the ‘extra-judicial murder’ of 27-year-old Naqeebullah Mehsud allegedly by the suspended Malir SSP Rao Anwar. They demanded the formation of a judicial commission led by a Supreme Court judge to probe into police encounters from the year 1991 to this date.
In an emergency meeting presided by KBA President Haider Imam here in Karachi, the lawyers’ body said that the extrajudicial killings are very common in Sindh particularly in Gadap Town, adding that the encounter led by Rao Anwar had created great unrest among the general public and the civil society.
KBA further demanded from the authorities concerned to dismiss Rao Anwar and all other police officers who were involved in encounters on the name of self-defense. The lawyers also appealed for criminal proceedings to be initiated against such officers.
“The barbaric acts of terrorism in the name of encounters are some of the glaring examples of the encroachment of fundamental rights to life and liberty as laid out in the constitution. These illegal and unlawful acts carried out by the police department have not only created serious unrest and apprehensions in the mind of common man but have also raised finger over the justice system,” the press release read.
The lawyers’ body also hailed the apex court for taking suo moto notice of Naqeebullah’s killing, expecting that an appropriate action would also be taken by the federal and provincial governments in same quick manner.
The association reminded that same sort of extrajudicial killing incidents occurred in the interior Sindh that had gone unnoticed, terming it the violation of due process of law.
