Police told to protect Naqeebullah’s father and his attorney

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Thursday directed the police to ensure security of the slain Naqeebullah Mehsud’s father and his attorney as they claimed to have been receiving threats from the accused against pursuing the case.

Khan Muhammad, Naqeebullah’s father, through his attorney Salahuddin Panhwar moved applications before the ATC-III judge seeking security. The attorney said the accused through various means were extending threats to them to force them not to pursue the case. Former SSP Malir Rao Anwar and 22 other retired and serving policemen face trial for killing 27-year-old Naseemullah Mehsud, alias Naqeebullah Mehsud, in a fake encounter and foisting bogus terrorism cases on him.

On the previous hearing, Panhwar had moved an application requesting the court to fix some other date to record the statement of Naqeebullah’s father as he was ill. The court approved the application and summoned Muhammad again on May 16.

The lawyer had also informed media persons that his client had been feeling anguish because of threats from the accused persons. He had said he would lodge a complaint with the court in this regard after talking to this client.

According to the prosecution, Naqeebullah was killed along with three other men, 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 murder of Naqeeubullah. Five of these, Anwar Ahmed Khan, alias Rao Anwar, Qamar Ahmed Shaikh, Muhammad Yaseen, Supurd Hussain and Khizar Hayat are on bail. Thirteen, including 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; whereas, seven, Amanullah Marwat, Shaikh Muhammad Shoaib, Gada Hussain, Mohsin Abbas, Sadaqat Hussain Shah, Rana Shamim and Riaz, are absconding.

Police investigations revealed that Naqeebullah 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 but Naqeebullah was killed in a fake police encounter on January 13.

On Thursday’s hearing, the judge ordered that the plaintiffs be provided security and sought a compliance report on the next hearing on May 25. The accused were also present during the hearing.