‘Father, witnesses being warned not to testify against cops accused of Naqeeb’s murder’

The attorney for slain Naqeebullah Mehsud’s father claimed on Friday that his client and witnesses were being warned not to depose against policemen accused of the young man’s murder.

Former SSP Malir Rao Anwar and 22 other retired and serving policemen have been standing trial on charges of killing 27-year-old Naseemullah Mehsud, aka Naqeebullah Mehsud, in a fake encounter and implicating him in bogus terrorism cases.

Advocate Salahuddin Panhwar moved an application with the ATC-III judge, stating that his client Khan Muhammad sought exemption from appearing to record his statement due to illness.

The court approved it and summoned Khan again on May 16. Talking to media outside the court, Panhwar said that his client was suffering from mental anguish because he was receiving threats from the accused persons for pursuing the case.

He said he would lodge a complaint with the court if need be. According to the prosecution, Naqeebullah Mehsud was killed along with three others, Sabir, Nazar Jan and Ishaq, in a fake encounter in Shah Latif Town on January 13, 2018.

Twenty-three policemen have been booked for the murders. Of these five —Anwar Ahmed Khan, aka Rao Anwar, Qamar Ahmed Shaikh, Muhammad Yaseen, Supurd Hussain and Khizar Hayat — are on bail. Thirteen others — Allah Yar Kaka, Muhammad Iqbal, Arshad Ali, Ghulam Nazuk, Abdul Ali, Shafiq Ahmed, Shakeel, Muhammad Anar, Khair Muhammad, Faisal Mehmood, Ali Akbar, Raees and Syed Imran Kazmi -- are in custody.

Seven other suspects — Amanullah Marwat, Shaikh Muhammad Shoaib, Gada Hussain, Mohsin Abbas, Sadaqat Hussain Shah, Rana Shamim and Riaz — are absconding.

Police findings are that Naqeebullah Mehsud and his friends Hazrat Ali and Qasim were picked up by the police on January 4 last year from a teashop named Sher Agha Hotel on Abul Hassan Ispahani Road.

They were kept in illegal confinement and badly tortured. Ali and Qasim were released two days later while Naqeeb was killed in a fake police encounter on January 13.