Naqeebullah’s family requests SHC to cancel bail of Rao Anwar, other accused

The complainant’s counsel in the Naqeebullah Mehsud extra-judicial killing case has requested the Sindh High Court (SHC) to cancel bail granted to nominated accused in the case, including former Malir SSP Rao Anwar, expressing fear that the accused could harm the prosecution witnesses if they were allowed to remain free during the trial proceedings.

Arguing on the application of Naqeebullah’s family that sought cancellation of bail granted to suspended police officer Rao Anwar and others in the case of extrajudicial killing of 27-year-old Naqeebullah, the complainant’s counsel, Faisal Siddiqui, said prosecution witnesses were facing threats in the case and the release of the accused on bail could cause harm to the prosecution case.

Mohammad Khan, father of the victim, submitted in the application that Anwar and his subordinates had been booked for murdering his son along with three other citizens in a fake police encounter on January 13, 2018 in Shah Latif Town, and the trial is pending before an anti-terrorism court.

Siddiqui submitted in the application that Anwar had been a very influential officer and his power was evident from the fact that since his arrest in the case on March 21, he had been provided VVIP and discriminatory treatment and for not a single day was he confined to prison; rather, his house was declared a sub-jail.

He submitted that due to discriminatory and illegal favours being accorded to Anwar, the accused had been threatening the prosecution witnesses and one of the prosecution witnesses, Shahzada Jehangir, also retracted from his statement. He remarked that the petitioner had expressed no confidence in the presiding officer of the anti-terrorism court and filed a petition in the SHC; however, despite pendency of the transfer application, the ATC judge still proceeded with the case in a hurried manner and granted bail to Anwar.

He submitted that trial court’s bail-granting order was patently illegal and had been passed in violation of the principles of the grant of bail, thereby resulting in the miscarriage of justice. The counsel requested the SHC to cancel the bail of Anwar, former DSP Qamar Ahmed Sheikh and others as concession of their bail could jeopardise the prosecution case.

The high court directed the counsel to supply copies of the application to the respondent’s counsel and asked the investigation officer of the case to appear before the court on November 28.