An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Saturday granted bail to three policemen standing trial as co-accused over charges of murdering Naqeebullah Mehsud in a fake encounter in Malir earlier this year, as well as two other trials.
The key suspect in the high-profile murder case, former Malir senior superintended of police Rao Anwar, has already obtained bail.
The court directed sub-inspectors Muhammad Yaseen and Sapurd Hussain and constable Khizar Hayat to deposit surety bonds of Rs200,000 each.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Qamar Ahmed, however, was not granted bail, while the court fixed August 18 as the next date of hearing and observed that a decision on his bail plea would also be announced on the same date. Anwar and other cops were present in the court.
Talking to media afterwards, Anwar maintained that he and his companions were falsely implicated in these cases. He said that the poor cops had young children and families. He claimed that some influential people obtained statements from the detained cops as per their desire but failed to get what they wanted and implicated them instead.
Almost all the accused in these cases have been granted bail by the trial court while some 12 cops are still at large and have been declared absconders.
Anwar, the key accused, and his subordinates are being tried by the ATC for allegedly killing Mehsud and three other men in a fake police encounter in Shah Latif Town on January 13.
On July 10, Anwar was granted bail in the murder case against the sum of Rs1 million. Ten days later he was granted bail for possession of illegal arms against the same amount. The submission of the required surety bonds enabled the suspended police officer to obtain his release on Saturday from his residence that was declared sub-jail.
The family of Naqeebullah Mehsud filed an application with the Sindh High Court on July 17, seeking the transfer of the murder trial against from Anti-Terrorism Court-II to another court in the interest of justice.
Mohammad Khan, father of the slain 27-year-old South Waziristan native, said in the application that suspended senior superintendent of police Anwar and his subordinates had been booked for murdering his son and three other citizens in a fake encounter.
He charged that the anti-terrorism court was giving undue benefit to the accused by not passing orders on his objections and he had reasonable apprehension that the presiding officer of the ATC would not be able to act fairly and impartially while deciding the case.
Khan’s counsel Faisal Siddiqui said the trial court had developed a bias in favour of Anwar and his subordinate officers, and that bias was apparent from the fact that the presiding officer had to date failed to consider and pass any order on the written objections filed by the applicant.
Sharjeel Memon case
An accountability court adjourned the hearing in a corruption reference of around Rs5.75 billion against former provincial minister Sharjeel Memon and others till August 11.
The court announced that the cross-examination of a prosecution witness, Zeenat Jahan, would be continued at the next hearing as well.
Later, talking to media, Memon said that he was thankful to God for the great success of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in the general elections. In spite of the strong opposition and false allegations, his party had won the Sindh Assembly, he added.
Memon alleged that due to rigging, the PPP had lost its signature seats in Larkana and Lyari. He further said that his party would challenge the rigging through a legal process.
Responding to a question, he said the PPP leadership would take a decision either to support or not to support Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan. He added that it would be a great challenge for Khan to fulfil his commitments.