Father moves ATC against declaring Rao Anwar’s residence sub-jail

The father of Waziristan native Najeebullah Mehsud, who was murdered along with three other men in a fake encounter in Malir in January this year, has challenged the act of declaring suspended police officer Rao Anwar’s residence a sub-jail.

Advocate Faisal Siddiqui, representing the father of 27-year-old Mehsud, submitted on Thursday an application to an anti-terrorism court (ATC) hearing the murder cases against former Malir SSP Anwar and over 24 of his subordinates.

The application argued that no written orders were issued for declaring Answar’s residence located in Malir Cantonment as sub-jail by the provincial government. Besides, the under-trial prisoner himself had not moved an application to declare his residence as sub-jail.

The applicant further said that it was learnt that the residence of Anwar was declared a sub-jail on a verbal directive of the inspector general of Jailkhana Jaat in violation of the rules and regulations. He mentioned that Anwar was arrested on the orders of the Supreme Court of Pakistan after he had appeared before the apex court. He was produced before the administrative judge of anti-terrorism courts who granted his physical remand and sent him to prison after the expiration of one-month physical remand.

He claimed that the suspended police officer had no security issue but still his residence had been declared a sub-jail. The father of the deceased said that instead of keeping Anwar in a prison, he was allowed to stay at his home and that was an illegal act. The court would hear the application at the next hearing.

The court had already issued notices to the state attorneys for tendering their arguments on the bail plea filed on behalf of Anwar, who claimed that he was not present at the place where Mehsud was killed in the fake police encounter. He argued that there were contradictions in the charge sheet and the reports of the joint interrogation team (JIT) and the geo- financing as well. He said he deserved to be granted bail due to the contradictory reports submitted to the trial court by the prosecution.

Anwar has been declared as key accused in the interim charge sheet prepared by the Sindh police on the order of the apex court of the country. SSP District Central Dr Rizwan Ahmed prepared this charge sheet that said that Anwar was not only the key accused but was present at the scene and led the incident in which Mehsud, Muhammad Ishaque, Muhammad Sabir and Nazar Jan were shot dead in Shah Latif Town.

The report claimed that geo-fencing data also confirmed the presence of Anwar when the four men were allegedly killed. However, in a recent development, a witness had turned hostile and claimed that he had termed Anwar as key accused under duress. He said he had not seen Awnar at the time of the killing of the four men.

KMC official

The administrative judge of accountability courts granted physical remand of KMC Director of Sports and Culture Saif Abbas till May 25. The accused told the court that he was a heart patient. He prayed to the court to pass an order allowing him to get meals from his family instead of eating meals provided b y the investigators.

The corruption reference against Saif has been filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). Saif is alleged to have disposed of and also got leased around 300 plots (265 acres) illegally.

He is said to be an activist of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement. Another accused Shoiab Memon was arrested on May 3 as an accomplice of Abbas. Talking to the journalists informally, Abbas said that he was implicated in a false case. He said the then governor had granted permission for setting up a housing scheme due to which the plots were disposed of.

He said he had appointed a deputy director who was responsible for the matters. He claimed that he had not given any plot illegally. He pointed out that the same matter of the allotment of plots had already been investigated in the past, but now it had been reopened illegally.