Rao Anwar claims innocence in statement before ATC in Naqeebullah murder case

Former Malir senior superintendent of police (SSP) Rao Anwar on Friday claimed his innocence as he recorded his statement before an anti-terrorism court in the Naqeebullah Mehsud murder case.

Then SSP Anwar along with around two dozen of his subordinates faces charges of shooting to death four persons – Naseemullah Mehsud, alias Naqeebullah, Muhammad Ishaq, Nazar Jan, and Muhammad Sabir – after dubbing them ‘militants’ in a fake encounter on January 13, 2018.

The ATC-XVI judge, who is conducting the trial in the judicial complex inside the Central Jail Karachi, recorded the statement of Anwar. The former SSP and co-accused – DSP Qamar Ahmed Shaikh, Muhammad Yaseen, Khizar Hayat, Syed Raees Abbas and Suprud Hussain – turned up before the court on bail while a dozen of others in judicial custody were produced by the jail authorities.

In his statement and subsequent cross-examination, Anwar claimed that he was implicated in the case on the basis of ‘managed geo-fencing and call data record’ at the behest of a senior police officer he had professional rivalry with.

According to the prosecution, the call data record had showed his presence at the crime scene and near the New Sabzi Mandi on the Super Highway on January 4, 5, 8, 9 and 13.

“I was not present at the place of the occurrence at the time of the incident, nor did I visit the Sabzi Mandi between January 4 and January 7,” Anwar said, terming the findings of a joint investigation team that billed him as the main culprit false and fabricated.

On January 13, 2018, he said, he was informed about the presence of some militants within the jurisdiction of the Shah Latif Town police. “I had no complete knowledge of it. The SHO called in reinforcement and I, communicating his message for sending in police force, left my office situated at the Old Toll Plaza near Baqai Hospital. I along with my convoy pulled over near the Memon Goth police station where two constables dispatched by the SHO on a bike led us towards the place of the incident,” he maintained.

“When I reached the spot, the incident had already taken place and upon enquiry, the SHO sent him a WhatsApp brief for sharing with it high-ups.” Anwar said he shared with the media and his high-ups whatever he was conveyed by the Shah Latif Town SHO, adding that an initial inquiry had exonerated him on the basis of his statement while six cops were held responsible for the alleged extrajudicial killing.

On January 23, a ‘managed’ FIR was lodged on the basis of the final findings of the inquiry, he added. He pointed out that no call data record of any of the alleged abductees had been collected and produced despite the fact that Naqeebullah had five mobile phone numbers registered against his CNIC. “I was three to four kilometres away from the place of the encounter as per the CDR of my two mobile phones and 3.7 kilometres away from the place where the victim was held captive,” he said.

Anwar said the Sabzi Mandi was a busy and crowded area with CCTV cameras installed around but no footage was obtained showing his presence. He said that he was innocent and pleaded for justice. After recording statements of the former cop and co-accused, police constable Shakeel Feroz, the court set November 18 for recording the statement of DSP Qamar. The main case was put off until November 24 for hearing final arguments on the matter.

On May 2, 2018, investigation officer Dr Rizwan Ahmed had submitted a supplementary charge sheet stating that the forensic reports of the weapons, analysis of the CDR, TV interviews of Anwar and circumstantial evidence suggested involvement of the former Malir SSP and his subordinates in the extrajudicial murder by dubbing the victims terrorists.

The former SSP, eluding law enforcers for two months, had surrendered before the Supreme Court and was subsequently taken into custody. He was shifted to a house-turned sub-jail in the the Malir cantonment area instead of being kept in the central jail and finally released on bail in July 2018.