SC grants protective bail to Rao Anwar, forms JIT after receiving letter from ex-Malir SSP

ISLAMABAD: Granting protective bail to the former Malir SSP, the Supreme Court on Tuesday constituted a joint investigation team (JIT) to investigate involvement of Rao Anwar in extrajudicial murder of Naqeebullah Mehsud.

The police officer, who is accused of killing Naqeebullah Mehsud in a fake encounter, has written a letter to the Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar instead of obeying the court orders to appear before it.

Quoting the chief justice, Geo News on Monday reported that Rao Anwar has told the top judge through the letter that he was prepared to attend the investigation if an "independent" Joint Investigation Team (JIT) is formed to probe the killing of the youth from South Waziristan.

Denying his role in the encounter, the officer said he was not present during the encounter that killed Mehsood early last month in outskirts of Karachi.

The CJP then, ordered to form a JIT comprising brigadier-rank officials of the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) and Intelligence Bureau and another competent officer to be decided by the court.

Reading out the contents of the letter, CJP Nisar said Rao Anwar has mentioned in his letter "services" that he rendered for the people of Malir, the district of Karachi where he called the shots for years.

The chief justice was hearing suo motu case of Naqeebullah Mehsood's killing .

According to Geo News, during the hearing the chief justice asked police not arrest Rao Anwar and provide security to the absconding officer so that he could attend the hearing on Friday.