Rao Anwar was not present when Naqeebullah was killed: CDR expert

A call data record expert of the police deposed in an anti-terrorism court on Saturday that former SSP Malir Rao Anwar and at least 10 other cops were not present at the place where 27-year-old Naqeebullah had been killed.

The testimony came as a dent to the prosecution’s case against retired police officer Anwar and his team of 22 personnel standing trial for killing modelling-aspirant Naqeebullah, whose real name was Naseemullah, and three others, Sabir, Nazar Jan and Ishaq, in a fake encounter on the outskirts of the city on January 13, 2018.

Of the defendants, Anwar, Qamar Ahmed, 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 Abbas Zaidi and Syed Imran Kazmi -- are in judicial custody.

Seven people -- Amanullah Marwat, Shaikh Muhammad Shoaib, Gada Hussain, Mohsin Abbas, Sadaqat Hussain Shah, Rana Shamim and Riaz -- have been declared proclaimed offenders and warrants have been out for their arrests.

The CDR expert, whose identity has been withheld for security concerns, said that Anwar and 10 other cops reached the place of the incident after the shootout, according to the geo-fencing report. Meanwhile, the ATC also heard three other witnesses in the case. Anwar had claimed that the 27-year-old was a terrorist and killed with his accomplices during a shootout with law enforcers in the jurisdiction of the Shah Latif Town police station.

Contrary to Anwar’s repeated claims, the investigation did not find any evidence of Naqeeb’s involvement in a terrorist activity but observed that Naqeebullah’s social media profile portrayed him as a liberal and fun-loving young man with a penchant for modelling.

The court, after recording the testimonies, adjourned the hearing till December 7 and summoned more witnesses at the next hearing.

The trial began in March, 2019. The father of the slain youth, Muhammad Khan, who lodged the complaint against the policemen, has passed away. Before his death, he had expressed his distrust in the judicial system and the authorities, for he had been receiving death threats for pursuing the case.