Weapons and empties did not match, forensic expert testifies in court

A forensic expert testified in an anti-terrorism court on Thursday that the weapons taken from policemen accused of murdering Naqeebullah Mehsud in extrajudicial custody did not match with the bullet empties recovered from the crime scene.

According to the prosecution, 27-year-old Naqeebullah, whose real name was Naseemullah Mehsud, was killed along with three others, Sabir, Nazar Jan and Ishaq, in a fake encounter on the outskirts of the city in Shah Latif Town on January 13, 2018, by then SSP Malir Rao Anwar and his team.

The official who conducted forensic examinations on case properties was presented as a witness in the court to testify on his report. He deposed that the empties provided to him by the investigation officer did not match the weapons seized from the accused. The judge recorded his statement and directed him to appear again on the next hearing on July 15 for cross examination by the complainant counsel and the prosecutor. They had raised an objection to the witness’s report saying that it was tampered with to extend benefit to the accused.

Twenty-three policemen have been charged with the murder of Naqeebullah. Of the accused, Anwar, Qamar Ahmed, Muhammad Yaseen, Supurd Hussain and Khizar Hayat are on bail. Thirteen others -- Allah Yar Kaka, Muhammad Iqbal, Arshad Ali, Ghulam Nazuk, Abdul Ali, Shafiq Ahmed, Shakeel, Muhammad Anar, Khair Muhammad, Faisal Mehmood, Ali Akbar, Raees Abbas Zaidi and Syed Imran Kazmi -- are in judicial custody.

Seven other suspects, Amanullah Marwat, Sheikh Muhammad Shoaib, Gada Hussain, Mohsin Abbas, Sadaqat Hussain Shah, Rana Shamim and Riaz, have been declared proclaimed offenders and warrants have been issued for their arrests.

Anwar had claimed that the 27-year-old was a terrorist and killed with his accomplices during a shootout with law enforcers in the jurisdiction of the Shah Latif Town police station. Contrary to Anwar’s repeated claim, the investigation did not find any evidence of Naqeeb’s involvement in a terrorist activity but observed that his social media profile portrayed him as a liberal and fun-loving young man with a penchant for modelling.

The ATC had begun the trial in March, 2019. The father of the slain youth, Muhammad Khan, who lodged the complaint against police, have passed away. He before his death had expressed his distrust in the judicial system and the authorities, for he had been receiving death threats for pursuing the case.