Rao Anwaar appointed SSP Malir again

The Sindh government reinstated controversial cop, Rao Anwaar, as Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Malir on Friday, around four months after he was suspended for arresting a senior Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader. 

The government notified that Javed Akbar Riaz, who was serving as the SSP Malir, had been transferred to the Forensic Division.

In September, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah had suspended Anwaar after the dramatic arrest of Opposition Leader in the Sindh Assembly Khawaja Izhar-ul-Hasan.

The chief minister had reportedly ordered an investigation against former Malir SSP Rao Anwar on five serious charges.

The charges included land grabbing, mistreatment of subordinates, supervision of illegal sand business, leaking of a report to a newspaper about the raid on Hassan’s residence and the holding of a press conference despite being banned from doing so.

The officer was given a clean chit after the completion of the investigation, according to reports.

In September 2016, Sindh police chief AD Khowaja issued an order posting Javed Akbar Riaz as the SSP Malir.

A police team of District Malir had carried out the raid on the residence of the MQM leader in the afternoon over reports that alleged criminal Raees alias Mama was present there. However, the suspect was not found during the swoop, which took place when Hasan was not home. Soon afterwards, Hasan along with MQM-Pakistan chief Dr Farooq Sattar and other party leaders arrived and were addressing the media when Anwaar along with his staff forcibly arrested him by claiming that he was an absconder in three criminal cases registered against him at SITE Super Highway Police Station.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah had taken notice of the incident and ordered the suspension of Anwaar. He had also directed the home department to surrender the services of DIG East Dr Kamran Fazal to the Establishment Division, Islamabad.