Police told to begin process to declare absconding cops proclaimed offenders

An anti-terrorism court on Wednesday directed the police to start proceedings against the absconding suspects in the Naqeebullah murder case to declare them proclaimed offenders as they have been on the run to avoid justice.

The ATC-III judge hearing the case directed the investigation officer to present a report under Section 87 and 88 of the Code of Criminal Procedure at the next hearing against cops Amanullah Marwat, Shaikh Muhammad Shoaib alias Shoaib Shooter, Gada Hussain, Mohsin Abbas, Sadaqat Hussain Shah, Rana Shamim and Riaz.

At the outset of the hearing, SSP Dr Rizwan Ahmed told the judge that acting on the non-bailable warrants of arrest issued by the court against the absconding suspects, police raided their possible whereabouts, but in vain.

He added that it is likely that because of the news on the media about their warrants being issued, they may have gone into hiding along with their families. He said that services of the Intelligence Bureau and Federal Investigation Agency have also been sought to trace them.

Meanwhile, former SSP Malir Rao Anwar, who is the prime suspect and is out on bail, along with other suspects attended the hearing as the court supplied copies of prosecution documents to them as a matter of formality before the indictment.

Anwar, who has now retired from police, and his team have been accused of murdering 27-year-old Naseemullah Mehsud, better known as Naqeebullah Mehsud, and three others in a staged encounter within the jurisdiction of Shah Latif Town police station in January 2017.

The same court had previously ruled that those killed in the encounter were innocent as no proof or criminal record surfaced against them during an inquiry, contrary to the claims of Anwar and his team.

Anwar had labeled the deceased as terrorists and had lodged five cases against them on the pretext of attacking police and possessing illicit arms. The court after accepting the inquiry report had quashed these cases stating that they were false and concocted.