Perpetual arrest warrants out for cops on the run in Naqeebullah murder case

An anti-terrorism court issued on Tuesday perpetual warrants for the arrests of seven police personnel absconding in the Naqeebullah Mehsud murder case while seeking comments from defence by March 5 on the complainant’s plea to put together all the cases against the suspects for a joint trial.

The warrants were issued for Sub-Inspector Amanullah Marwat, Sub-Inspector Shaikh Muhammad Shoaib alias Shoaib Shooter, Assistant Sub-Inspector Gada Hussain, Head Constable Mohsin Abbas, Head Constable Sadaqat Hussain Shah, Police Constable Raja Shamim Mukhtar and Police Constable Rana Riaz Ahmed.

The suspects, said to be part of the “hit team” of former superintendent of police Anwar Ahmed Khan alias Rao Anwar, have been on the run since an inquiry found them and their boss guilty of killing 27-year-old Naseemullah Mehsud alias Naqeebullah Mehsud in a fake encounter in January last year.

At the outset of the hearing, Salahuddin Panhwar, the lawyer representing Naqeebullah’s father, moved an application before the ATC-III judge, Aklaque Hussain Larak, pleading to club together the three cases against the suspects since they are identical in nature.

Panwhar argued that putting together the cases would save time for the court and help in dispensing justice speedily. Of the three cases, two are registered at the Shah Latif Town police station while one at the Sachal police station. Listening to the arguments, the judge issued notices to defence for all the arrested and suspects on bail, directing them to submit their responses in the court by March 5. During the hearing, Anwar and other suspects were present in the courtroom.

Police findings

Naqeebullah was picked up by police along with his friends Hazrat Ali and Qasim on January 4, 2018, from a teashop, Sher Agha Hotel, located on Abul Hassan Ispahani Road. They were kept in illegal confinement and brutally tortured.

Ali and Qasim were released on January 6 while Naqeebullah was killed in a fake police encounter on January 13.

Anwar, serving as SSP Malir then, had claimed that the 27-year-old was a terrorist and got killed alongwith his accomplices, Sabir, Nazar Jan and Ishaq, in a shootout with law enforcers within the remits of the Shah Latif Town police station.

Contrary to the persistent claim of Anwar, there is no evidence of involvement of Naqeebullah in any terrorist activity. His social media profile shows him as a liberal and fun-loving young man with a penchant for modelling.

Anwar’s team tried to distort the evidence to suppress and conceal the facts and obstruct the course of justice. Against the claim of an exchange of fire, the examination of the crime scene found that no firing was carried out from inside of the house, where they claimed the terrorists were hiding, nor was any hand grenade hurled.