Naqeebullah’s murder case: Rao Anwar refuses to appear before IGP’s probe team by declaring it biased

KARACHI: District Malir’s former senior superintendent of police (SSP) Rao Anwar, who was transferred and directed to report to the Central Police Office (CPO) by Sindh Inspector General of Police (IGP) AD Khowaja on recommendations of a three-member committee investigating suspected extrajudicial murder of a 27-year-old man in a fake encounter, has refused to accept the orders of the provincial police chief, and announced that neither he nor any member of his team would appear before the committee to justify Shah Latif Town’s January 13 encounter.

Sindh IGP Khowaja has formed a committee, including Additional Inspector General (AIG) Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) Dr Sanaullah Abbasi, East Zone DIGP Sultan Ali Khowaja and South Zone DIGP Azad Khan, to ascertain the facts related to the reported encounter in the Shah Latif Town police limits in which Naseemullah alias Naqeeb Mehsud was killed, along with three other suspects, on January 13.

Police claimed that Naqeeb was affiliated with the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.

In a telephonic conversation with The News, Anwar questioned the partiality of all the committee members who are probing Naseemullah’s killing. He said that he did not accept Sindh IGP’s committee due to the biased nature of committee members.

Anwar said, “Since the committee has proved its biased nature by recommending my transfer and putting my name in the Exit Control List (ECL) within 24 hours of the start of investigation, I and my team members would not appear before a biased investigation team.”

Justifying his stance, Anwar said that he was cooperating with the investigation committee, and he took the relatives of Naseemullah to the committee in his first hearing on Friday to record their statements.

He said that he himself told the committee to contact TTP’s Qari Ehsan to confirm that Naseemullah was a terrorist or not, but the committee told him that Qari Ehsan declined his association with Naseemullah.

“I accepted the committee’s claim and assured the members to continue to cooperate in future, but the committee members are intentionally not cooperating with me,” Anwar accused. “I called East Zone DIGP Sultan Ali Khowaja, who was also a committee member, to share some information related to this case, but he did not respond,” Anwar said. “Keeping this attitude of the committee in view, I have decided that not only me, but all members of my team, will not appear before the probe team during the investigation of this case.”

On Saturday, Sindh IGP Khowaja, on recommendation of team, transferred Rao Anwar and SP Investigation-II East Altaf Sarwar Malik from their respective places of posting and directed them to report to the CPO.

IGP Khowaja has written a letter to the Sindh government with a request to place both of the above-mentioned officers’ names under suspension as recommended by the committee.

IGP Khowaja has also written a letter to the Ministry of Interior (MoI) for placement of the names of Rao Anwar and his police party on the Exit Control List (ECL) immediately as recommended by the committee.

IGP Khowaja directed Additional IGP Karachi to take necessary action against the police party in accordance with rules in the light of recommendations of the committee. Khowaja also directed Additional IGP Karachi to ensure that the incumbent SSP Malir and SP Investigation-II East shall finalise the investigation of the case strictly on merit in a professional manner.

However, East Zone DIGP Sultan Ali Khowaja has categorically rejected the claims of District Malir’s former SSP Rao Anwar, and directed him to appear before a probe team on Sunday night.

In his statement, DIGP Khowaja said that Anwar did not contact him for sharing details regarding Naseemullah’s killing case. The DIGP directed Anwar to appear before probe team, along with his team, at his office to record their statements at 11:00pm on Sunday night.

Talking to The News, SP Investigation East-II Abid Qaimkhani said: “Anwar and his team members were issued notices to appear before Sindh IGP AD Khowaja and National Commission for Human Rights’ (NCHR) visiting team at the CPO at 10:30am on Monday (today).” He added that he also issued notices to Anwar and his team to appear before him at 1:00pm on Monday (today), as he was also assigned to investigate this case and submit report to Sindh IGP AD Khowaja.

He maintained that notices were served at the residences of Anwar and his team members, and they were also informed on wireless and all others means of communication were used by the police.

Separately, the Sindh Police on Sunday assured that the family of Waziristan native Naqeeb Mehsud would be provided security when they would travel to the metropolis to appear before an inquiry committee probing the suspected extrajudicial killing.