Naqeebullah murder case: SC asks police to arrest Rao Anwar within three days

KARACHI: The Supreme Court on Saturday ordered the Sindh police to ensure the arrest of former  Rao Anwar after the former SSP Malir failed to appear before  the  apex court  which is hearing suo motu case of Naqeebullah Mehsood’s alleged extra judicial killing.

The Supreme Court had taken suo motu notice of the killing of Mehsood in a police encounter allegdedly led by Anwar after the incident sparked outrage across the country.

Directing the government to place name of the police officer on the Exit Control List (ECL), the court had summoned him on Saturday .

According to Geo TV, a bench headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar and comprising Justice Faisal Arab and Justice Gulzar Ahmed is hearing the case at the Karachi registry of the apex court.

IG Sindh Police AD Khowaja, Additional IG, Sindh Chief Sectratry, father of Naqeebullah Mehsood and others officials were  present in the court to attend the hearing.

The CJ asked whether Rao Anwar was present in the court as IG Sindh presented inquiry report at the onset of hearing.

After receiving the answer   from the IG about the absence of the former SSP, the CJ inquired whether police had many  efforts to arrest him.

AD Khowaja told the court that police had made every effort to arrest Rao Anwar who was  in Islamabad before a case was  lodged against him.

Then the CJ asked Director General Civil Aviation whether or not Rao Anwar travel  abroad over the past 15 days and  whether he used a  private airliner for travelling. He also asked the DG Civil Aviation to provide the names of owners of  private  planes and their affidavits  stating whether Rao Anwar used their aircraft  or not.

The Chief Justice also sought reply from  Interior Secretary  about the foreign trips of undertaken by Rao Anwar and ordered Civil Aviation and Interior Ministry to inform the court whether the  suspect fled the  country by crossing borders.

When the chief justice  inquired the IG  about the possibility of Rao Anwar fleeing the country, the top cop said the possibility couldn't be ruled out.

He said though he couldn't give a timeframe for the arrest,adding that  police were making every effort to arrest the suspect.

When the  Chief Justice insisted a time frame, the IG sought three-day time which was granted by the Supreme Court to arrest the  former Malir SSP. 

FIA foils Rao Anwar’s escape bid

Rao Anwar’s attempt to flee the country was foiled by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) officials when he was trying to sneak out from the Islamabad Airport. Instead of surrendering to the police in Karachi and defending himself in the court of law, apparently Rao Anwar tried to flee the country to avoid arrest.

The suspended police officer's name was placed on the Exit Control List (ECL) on the orders of the Supreme Court after it took notice of his reported attempt to leave the country.

After evading arrest in Karachi, Rao Anwar in a surprise move managed to sneak out of Karachi and reached Islamabad. He managed to get an ‘electronic visa’ for Dubai and also faked a letter from the office of the chief secretary of Sindh Rizwan Memon, granting him seven-day leave as well as allowing him to travel abroad.

444 suspects killed in encounters 

As many as 444 suspects were killed in 192 police encounters led by Rao Anwar after his appointment as the top cop in the Malir district of the metropolis, according to an inquiry report submitted by the Sindh police in the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

The report detailing 745 encounters involving former SSP Malir Rao Anwar, after his appointment seven years back, was submitted by the police after Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar took suo notice of the alleged extra judicial killing of Naqeebullah Mehsood.