SC gives Sindh IG more time to arrest Rao Anwar

• Sindh IGP says no evidence of Rao Anwar fleeing country

• Naqeeb’s father rejects rumours of any backdoor deal with former Malir SSP

KARACHI: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar on Friday gave until March 19 to the Sindh police to arrest absconding former Malir SSP Rao Anwar while hearing the suo motu case pertaining to the alleged encounter of Naqeebullah Mehsud at the Supreme Court (SC) registry in Karachi.

Naqeebullah Mehsud, a 27-year-old native of Waziristan, was among three others who were accused of terrorism and killed on January 13 on the orders of then Malir SSP Rao Anwar, in what was later determined to be a fake encounter.

The SC had in January issued a three-day deadline for Anwar’s arrest while another was given by an anti-terrorism court last month. However, the authorities have failed to do so — despite support from intelligence agencies — amid rumours that the absconding officer has flown abroad.

Appearing before the court on Friday, Sindh Inspector General of Police (IGP) AD Khowaja sought more time to trace Anwar, who has been absconding in the case.

During court proceedings, the Sindh IG informed the top court that footage of Anwar at Karachi and Islamabad airports was received by the Sindh police but required time to review it

Khowaja then requested time for investigation. When the CJP inquired on preferred deadline, the Sindh IG answered that there will be progression in a day or two.

On Wednesday, the Sindh police submitted a report before the SC stating that they have written a letter to the directors general of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) as well as the Airport Security Force (ASF) that Anwar had tried to flee the country and the movement of the accused was captured by cameras installed at Benazir Bhutto International Airport in Islamabad.

The Sindh Police had approached federal agencies to identify the ‘facilitators’ of Rao Anwar.

According to the report, the same footage provided on a flash drive shows unidentified persons accompanying Anwar and trying to obtain a boarding pass for him. The recording is from the night of January 22, 2018.

Moreover, during the hearing, no one from the Airports Security Force (ASF) appeared in court despite a summons related to Anwar’s botched attempt to flee the country in late January.

Adjourning the hearing until Monday, Justice Nisar directed Khowaja to submit a report in Islamabad.

‘NO EVIDENCE RAO ANWAR LEFT COUNTRY’:

Speaking after the hearing, the Sindh IG said that Anwar’s videos acquired from Karachi and Islamabad airports are not clear enough and efforts are being made to find more footage. He also said that no evidence has been found of the former Malir SSP travelling abroad during the course of the ongoing investigation.

He told the media that the court had allowed the police more time to arrest Anwar upon his request.

Naqeeb’s father Mohammad Khan again rejected rumours of any backdoor deal with Anwar and reiterated his confidence in the courts. “We will continue to appear in court until Rao Anwar is arrested,” he said.

The court has so far received two letters from Anwar — first requesting a free and fair joint investigation team and the second asking court to unfreeze his accounts. The veracity of the letters has yet to be ascertained.