Controversial police officer Rao Anwaar reinstated

The Sindh government ordered on Saturday the reinstatement of SSP Rao Anwaar, who was suspended in September for arbitrarily arresting Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s Khawaja Izhar-ul-Hassan, the leader of the opposition in the Sindh Assembly.

Sources said the inquiry against Anwaar was still under way, but the government was considering appointing him the SSP East.

A notification issued by the government read, “With the approval of the competent authority, Anwaar Ahmed Khan (BS-18), Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), whose services were placed under suspension vide this department’s order dated September 16, 2016, are hereby reinstated with immediate effect, pending disciplinary proceedings.”

On September 16, a police team of the Malir district had raided Hassan’s house claiming that they had information about the presence of an alleged criminal, Raees alias Mama, there. However, he was not found at the house.

Later, Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah taking notice of the incident had directed the suspension of the SHO Sohrab Goth SHO.

Later in the day, when Hassan had reached his house along with other MQM leaders including MQM-Pakistan chief Dr Farooq Sattar and addressing a press briefing, Anwaar with his staff reached there and arrested him claiming that he was an absconder in criminal cases registered against him at the SITE Super Highway police station.

The chief minister then ordered the suspension of the SSP and directed the home department to send back DIG East Dr Kamran Fazal to the Establishment Division, Islamabad.

The home department had issued a notification that read, “With the approval of the competent authority i.e. Chief Minister Sindh, the services of Anwaar Ahmed Khan (BS-18), Senior Superintendent of Police, District Malir, Karachi Range are placed under suspension with immediate effect. The headquarters of Anwaar Ahmed Khan during the period of his suspension shall be at Central Police Office Karachi.

Anwaar Ahmed Khan shall draw his salary and allowances during the period of his suspension, as admissible under the rules.”

The police department had issued an order appointing Jawed Akbar Riaz as the SSP Malir. IGP AD Khowaja had ordered a departmental inquiry against Anwaar for violating rules and regulations and violation of discipline.

Litany of litigation

SSP Anwaar has cases against him pending in courts pertaining to illegal detention, extrajudicial killing and fake police encounters.

Several citizens have accused Anwaar and his sub-ordinates of illegally detaining and killing their loved-ones in staged police encounters.

In February 2015, the Supreme Court, in the murder case of Anis Soomro, had ordered a judicial inquiry over the allegation of complainant Anwar Ali, who had maintained that he was continuously receiving threats from Anwaar and other police officers of the Malir district to withdraw from the case.

The court had directed the district and sessions judge (South) to hold an inquiry into the allegation and submit a report.

It had also warned the SSP Malir to ensure that no harm was caused to the complainant or his family otherwise he would be held responsible.

On April 18, the Sindh High Court had ordered a petitioner, Zahid Abid Ali, who had alleged that his son was picked up and later killed by SSP Anwaar and other policemen in a fake encounter, to seek an appropriate remedy under the law.

The petitioner had alleged that an unidentified caller had demanded Rs500,000 on behalf of SSP Anwaar to release his son prior to the fake encounter.

A petition was also filed in the Sindh High Court seeking an inquiry in connection with the killing of over 50 suspects in fake encounters by SSP Anwaar in 2015.

It was submitted in the petition that the SSP had killed several people under the pretext of police encounters

for the last six month and none of the suspect was produced before a court for a fair trial.

The petitioner had also alleged that the SSP was patronising the land grabbers in Gadap Town and members of the land mafia had threatened him to withdrawing a case pertaining to the illegal occupation of an evacuee property in Sikandar Goth.