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Friday March 29, 2024

Eye-witness against Rao Anwar claims he recorded statement under duress

By Our Correspondent
May 15, 2018

KARACHI: An eye-witness in the extrajudicial murder case of Waziristan-native Naqeebullah Mehsud turned into a hostile witness on Monday and claimed that he had recorded his confessional statement against suspended Malir SSP Rao Anwar, the main accused, under duress.

While recording his statement before the anti-terrorism court hearing the case, the witness, Shehzad Jahangir, said he was not aware of the fact of Anwar’s involvement in the Naqeebullah murder case. He claimed that he was tortured by the police due to which he had to record his confessional statement against the former SSP. He further said that his life was in danger and prayed to the court that security be provided to him.

On the other hand, the interrogators have expressed their doubts on the report prepared by the police against Anwar and others being tried in the murder case. The interrogators have termed the report suspicious, stating that some 16 points were left unaddressed. It was learnt that the interrogators have claimed that the report prepared by the police even gave the wrong cell phone numbers for Rao Anwar as the same mobiles were working in Islamabad at the time of the murders of Naqeeb and three others in a fake police encounter.

Anwar was rushed to the trial court under heavy security. He and other 11 accused, including former DSP Qamar Ahmed Shaikh, Allah Yar, Iqbal and Arshad, were supplied copies of the case files. However, almost all the accused termed the files to be incomplete. On this plea, the court directed the prosecution to provide complete copies of the case to the attorneys for the detained accused. The court also issued non-bailable warrants of arrest against 11 absconders including Amanullah Marwat and Shoaib Shooter. Anwar, who was not handcuffed at the time he was presented for the hearing, prayed to the court to grant him ‘B-class’ facility in the prison. He has already moved a bail application before the court. The ATC directed the state attorneys to submit their arguments on Anwar’s two pleas on May 19.

Advocate Salahuddin, who is representing the family of the deceased Naqeebullah, filed an objection to the declaration of Anwar’s Malir Cantt residence as a sub-jail. He said it seemed like a fraudulent act to declare the accused’s home as a sub-jail on receiving a single phone call. He said there was no written order in this regard. Anwar’s attorney, however, rejected the argument, saying the attorney should have studied the law on this issue. He further said that his educated client was being treated as a commoner and a ‘C-class’ prisoner while he was a taxpayer.