Judgement reserved on bail pleas of Rao Anwar and co

The judgement on the bail plea of suspended District Malir SSP Rao Anwar in a case pertaining to charges of possession of illegal weapons and explosive materials will be announced on July 20.

The bail pleas of four other suspended policemen, namely DSP Qamar Ahmed, ASI Saparud Hussain, head constable Khizar Hayat and Muhammad Hussain, will be decided on July 28.

Anwar is the key accused in the murder case of aspiring model Naseemullah, alias Naqeeb Mehsud. The suspended SSP and his subordinates are being tried by an anti-terrorism court (ATC) for killing Mehsud and three other men during a fake police encounter in Shah Latif Town on January 13.

On Tuesday, when the court took up the matter of hearing the bail pleas, the attorney for Mehsud’s father Muhammad Khan raised an objection, saying that he has already moved an application seeking the suspension of the hearing.

The court said his application has been rejected.

Later, talking to the media outside the courtroom, Barrister Faisal Siddiqui said it was the darkest day in the history of justice, as the court did not pay heed to their request to suspend the hearing.

He said his client has lost confidence in the justice system, as it is unfair to continue the hearing. Khan, Mehsud’s father, expressed his dissatisfaction over the court’s decision and demanded that the murder case be transferred to another court.

Earlier, Anwar’s counsel said in his arguments that his client was implicated in a false case charging him with possession of explosive materials and illegal weapons despite the fact that the administrative judge of the ATCs had issued no order to this effect.

Advocate Amir Mansoob argued that a similar case against Mehsud and his companions was declared B-class, but the court had not issued any orders in that regard.

He said the investigators had registered a case against Anwar and other policemen without any legal cover. On July 10 the ATC hearing the Naqeeb Mehsud murder case had granted Anwar bail after approving his plea, with the order to pay Rs1 million in bail bonds.