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Thursday March 28, 2024

Court allows Rao Anwar to travel within Pakistan

By Our Correspondent
October 12, 2018

Former SSP Malik Rao Anwar, the main accused in the murder case of Waziristan native Naqeebullah Mehsud, has been granted permission by the court to travel within the country.

Anwar had moved an application before an anti-terrorism court (ATC) seeking permission to leave Karachi to visit his family. Granting the plea on Thursday, the court observed that he was free to move to any city (where an airport was located) but he must ensure his presence at the next hearing that would be conducted on October 31.

Earlier, the court expressed its deep displeasure over the failure of investigation officer (IO) Dr Rizwan to arrest the absconding accused involved in the alleged murder of Naqeeb and three other men.

As the IO showed his inability to arrest the absconders and prayed to the court to grant him further time, the court fixed October 31 as the last date to produce the 10 absconding accused. They include former Shah Latif Town police station SHO Amanullah Marwat and Shoaib alias Shoaib Shooter.

The court also directed the IO to submit a final report on the process of the arrest of absconders. It also observed that it would announce its ruling on the application challenging the order of the court to grant ‘B-class’ to Rao Anwar during detention. Anwar is at present out on bail. The court declared that it was duty bound not to announce any decision on some of the pleas against Anwar such as the ‘B-class’ issue and transferring of case matter until the matters were pending with the Sindh High Court (SHC).

Later, Anwar while talking to the journalists informally said that the IO had submitted a fake report in the SHC. He further said that he remained present at his residence and that was why he managed to attend the hearings.

Replying to a question, he said that he was not aware of any inquiry of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against him or his assets. Naqeeb and three others, Nazar Jan, Sabir and Ishaque, were allegedly killed in a fake police encounter that took place on January 13 this year.

Meanwhile, an accountability court hearing the corruption reference against former information minister and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Sharjeel Inam Memon and 12 other co-accused adjourned the proceedings till October 23.

Memon’s attorney gave his argument on the statement of a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) witness Meer Alam Jokhio. The attorney denied the charges of corruption against Memon. After the completion of cross-examination of witness Meer Alam Jokhio, the court adjourned the hearing till October 23 when the attorneys for the other accused would examine the same prosecution witness. Memon along with others is alleged to have committed corruption of around Rs5.76 billion.

After attending hearing, Memon told journalists that the increase in the prices of petroleum products and gas would ultimately lead to increase in the prices of routine items and the cost of living. He said Prime Minister Imran Khan had deviated from all his past undertakings. He declared he had never made any out of turn appointments.