Why Rao Anwar wants to go abroad, asks SC

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday directed former SSP Rao Anwar to resubmit his review petition seeking omission of his name from the Exit-Control List (ECL) as well as the earlier court order to keep his name on the no-fly list.

A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Justice Umar Ata Bandial heard the case. During the course of proceedings, Justice Umar Ata Bandial asked the counsel representing Anwar why a former police officer wants to go abroad. "Does he run a business abroad?" he asked. Naeem Iqbal, counsel for Rao Anwar, said that his client wanted to meet his family. He said that a court of law had granted bail to his client but later his name was put of the ECL. The counsel also referred to the case of former president General (R) Pervez Musharraf who had been allowed to go abroad. Justice Bandial observed that there was a process to get names struck off from the ECL but the counsel wants the name to be removed just because Anwar was on bail. Justice Faisal Arab remarked that the counsel claims there was no other first information report or inquiry against the accused but newspapers reported otherwise.

Faisal Siddiqui, the counsel for Mehsud's father, said that the National Accountability Bureau had already launched an inquiry against Anwar pertaining to assets beyond known sources of income.

When asked about further inquiries, the counsel for Anwar admitted that multiple things were in progress pertaining to the killings of 444 people. Later, hearing of the case was adjourned till date in office.