Naqeebullah killing: Rao Anwar fails to appear before probe committees

KARACHI: Former SSP Malir Rao Anwar has refused to appear before any committee tasked with probing the extrajudicial killing of Naqeebullah Mehsud in a staged encounter earlier this month.

He was supposed to appear before Sindh Inspector General A.D. Khowaja and the National Commission for Human Rights today. A notification in this regard was issued by SP Investigation East Abid Qaimkhani, who has also been appointed Malir district's new SP Investigation.

Meanwhile, IG Khowaja denied media reports of raid at Rao Anwar's residence in Malir. However, sources said that two police constables present at his home were taken into custody; one of them is Anwar's informer.

On Sunday, the suspended officer also skipped appearance before the inquiry committee questioning partiality of officers.

Rao Anwar is facing investigations over killing of Naqeebullah, a native of Waziristan in mysterious circumstances. As per the details, the victim was picked up by plain-clothes officials from Gul Sher Agha Hotel in Sohrab Goth and then murdered on January 12 in an alleged police encounter in Shah Latif Town by SSP Anwar and his men.

When the issue was highlighted through social media, a high-powered investigation body was constituted which confirmed that the shootout was fake and recommended to remove Anwar from his post as SSP Malir where he had been posted since years.

The committee also recommended putting his name on Exit Control List (ECL).

Anwar, along with other suspects, had been asked to appear before the DIG East on Sunday night at 11pm to record the statement, but he did not appear, accusing members of probe body of being biased towards him. Anwar accused inquiry team, saying that members of police were bent upon implicating him in the case instead of asking about the incident.

Talking to media persons, DIG East Sultan Khowaja said that police tried to reach Anwar but his phone was switched off, adding that if he doesn't have faith in police, he can appear before the human rights committee.

DIG Khowaja also assured to investigate the suspected suicide attack on Anwar's convoy earlier this week.

Meanwhile, Additional IG Sanaullah Abbasi said a murder case will be registered against Anwar, station house officer (SHO) of Shah Latif Town and others involved in the extrajudicial murder of Naqeebullah Mehsud, adding that a member of Naqeebullah's family would become complainant in the case.

Abbasi said Naqeebullah's cousin is on his way back to Karachi along with the victim's family and that they have been provided security by the KP police.

13 SHOs of Malir District have also been transferred so that they could not affect the ongoing investigation.

Rao Anwar's version

In a telephonic conversation with The News, Anwar questioned the partiality of all the committee members who are probing Naqeebullah’s killing. He said that he did not accept Sindh IGP’s committee due to the biased nature of committee members.

Anwar said, “Since the committee has proved its biased nature by recommending my transfer and putting my name in the ECL within 24 hours of the start of investigation, I and my team members would not appear before a biased investigation team.”

“I accepted the committee’s claim and assured the members to continue to cooperate in future, but the committee members are intentionally not cooperating with me,” Anwar accused. “I called East Zone DIGP Sultan Ali Khowaja, who was also a committee member, to share some information related to this case, but he did not respond,” Anwar said. “Keeping this attitude of the committee in view, I have decided that not only me, but all members of my team, will not appear before the probe team during the investigation of this case.”

Naqeebullah's family

The family of the victim is returning to Karachi today. A camp has been established by the Mehsud tribe at the Sohrab Goth to welcome them.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police dispatched a contingent of the Elite Force to the South Waziristan Agency to shift the family of Naqeebullah Mehsud so that it could appear before the investigation committee in Karachi.

Meanwhile, a delegation of Mehsud and Burki tribesmen would also leave for Karachi to raise the issue of extrajudicial killings of tribesmen with officials and political leaders in Karachi.