Rao Anwar granted bail in Naqeebullah murder case

KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court granted bail to former Malir SSP Rao Anwar on Tuesday in the Naqeebullah Mehsud murder case, Geo News reported.

Approving the former SSP’s bail plea, the ATC directed him to pay Rs1 million in bail bonds. Anwar, along with 11 of his subordinates, is facing trial before the ATC for allegedly killing Naqeebullah, a shopkeeper and aspiring model from South Waziristan, and three others in a staged encounter on January 13 in Malir. Another case was registered against Anwar for possession of explosives and illegal weapons. He is yet to be granted bail in that case. The hearing has been adjourned till July 27. Further, the ATC will take up the bail pleas of 11 of Anwar’s subordinates on July 16. The ATC had reserved its verdict on Anwar’s bail petition on July 5.

Talking to the media after the hearing, the former SSP said he will reveal who ‘framed’ him in the murder case when the time comes. “I will tell all when the time is right,” he added. Claiming that he was named in the case owing to “malafide intentions,” Anwar said, today, it has been proven that I am innocent. “The case neither names those who picked up Naqeebullah nor those who killed him,” he upheld. Anwar further said the real culprits will escape punishment. “What was done with me is similar to what was done to frame a person in Murtaza Bhutto murder case,” he continued. During the July 4 hearing of the case, Anwar’s counsel, Amir Mansoob Qureshi, had argued in court that his client was not present at the crime scene.

The judge had asked the counsel, “the victims were shot from inside a room and from the back. How come they were not shot from the front during the encounter?” To this, the former SSP's counsel said, “Anwar was neither involved in catching Naqeebullah nor was part of the encounter”. Qureshi had concluded his arguments after three hours following which the complainant’s counsel, Salahuddin Panhwar, presented his arguments before the ATC. Talking to reporters after the hearing, Anwar had said he was satisfied with the court proceedings and was awaiting the next step on his bail plea.