Rao Anwar, others involved in Naqeebullah killing to be arrested

KARACHI: Senior officials of the Sindh Police have decided to arrest suspended Malir SSP Rao Anwar and other policemen involved in the extrajudicial murder of Naqeebullah Mehsud.

Mehsud, a 27-year-old native of Waziristan, was among four suspected terrorists killed in an ‘exchange of fire’ with a police team headed by SSP Anwar on January 13 in Shah Latif Town.

However, his family later stated that Naqeebullah was innocent and gunned down in a fake encounter.

An inquiry team, headed by Counter Terrorism Department Additional IG Sanaullah Abbasi, was formed to probe the incident. The committee ordered the suspension of Anwar and other officials involved in the incident as well as placement of Anwar’s name on the Exit Control List.

During today’s meeting, held at the office of the DIG East and headed by Abbasi, it was decided that Anwar and the other members of the police raiding party would be arrested, according to sources.

Moreover, the meeting decided that all the SHOs of East District, where Anwar was deputed as SSP, will be transferred.

Sources said the police hierarchy has been taken into confidence about the move.

Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Saqib Nisar took suo motu notice of the killing on Friday and summoned a report from the Sindh police chief in seven days.