KARACHI: The inquiry committee probing the Naqeebullah extrajudicial killing case submitted its report to the Supreme Court, which will hear the suo motu case at its Karachi Registry tomorrow.
Naqeebullah Mehsud, a 27-year-old native of Waziristan, was among four suspected terrorists killed in an ‘exchange of fire’ with a police team led by Malir SSP Rao Anwar on January 13 in Shah Latif Town, Karachi.
Following claims of innocence from Naqeebullah’s family, an inquiry committee was formed after which Anwar and the raiding police party officials went into hiding. Anwar and his associates were also suspended by the government and an FIR registered against them owing to their no-show and alleged involvement in the case.
In the 15-page report, the inquiry committee headed Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD)Additional IG Sanaullah Abbasi, says that Naqeebullah was picked up from Sohrab Goth on January 3 along with two others.
The two people picked up with him were let go after giving bribes, the report states, adding that their statements have been recorded and made part of the investigation.
Moreover, it has been stated in the report that 26 casings of sub-machine guns in use by the police were recovered from the site of the ‘encounter’ and there was no evidence of firing from the victims — alleged terrorists.
It adds that all the officials involved in the incident have gone into hiding.
Sindh IG responds to Rao Anwar’s allegations
IG Sindh AD Khawaja, while responding to Rao Anwar’s allegations that Khawaja condones extrajudicial killings, said that the suspended SSP Malir is using baseless allegations to evade the law.
Speaking to media, Khawaja said he never gave orders for extrajudicial killings, nor has this been the policy of the Sindh Police.
He asked Anwar to refrain from speaking lies and surrender himself, and appear before the joint investigation team.
In a talk with media, Anwar had said the CTD, crimes branch and local police “also” carry out fake encounters, apparently referring to the claims slamming him for such encounters.
However, Anwar added, if he would be charged then higher officials of the police department would also be questioned as it was their orders that he worked on.
About Naqeebullah killing case, Anwar said he would have cooperated with the police department had they talked to him properly on the issue, as he also wanted to know who was at fault. “[But] case of terrorism has been filed against a person [himself] on the hit list of terrorists.”
Earlier in the day, Anwar demanded a JIT be formed with members of intelligence agencies in it.
In a statement issued to the media earlier on Thursday, Anwar called the case filed against him ‘baseless’, adding that a few police officers held a grudge against him and were misdirecting the family of late Naqeebullah.
SC summons Rao Anwar, others
On January 19, the chief justice had taken a suo motu notice of the incident and summoned a report from the Sindh police chief in seven days.
Hearing a separate case on January 23 in Islamabad, Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar observed that they have heard reports that Anwar is not appearing before the inquiry committee.
“This is a human rights issue,” the chief justice observed.
The court then summoned Anwar, Sindh IG AD Khawaja and the provincial advocate general.
After ordering the case hearing in Islamabad tomorrow, the apex court amended its earlier directions and stated that the hearing would take place at the Karachi Registry on January 27.
The inquiry committee probing the case has also been summoned at the next hearing.
Anwar’s name was also ordered to be placed on the ECL by the apex court. Earlier, the inquiry committee probing the case had recommended to the Interior Ministry the placement of Anwar’s name on ECL.
Later in the day, sources confirmed that Anwar has been placed on the no-fly list.
