Naqeebullah murder: Police arrest Rao Anwar after appearance in court
The accused, wearing a mask, arrived at the court on a car amid tight security.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Sindh police on Wednesday arrested Rao Anwar over the orders of Supreme Court after the suspended officer made a surprise appearance before the court. He had been absconding in the case of Naqeebullah Mehsud’s extrajudicial killing for two months.
Soon after he finally came out of hiding and appeared in SC, the Chief Justice directed to arrest suspended SSP Malir Rao Anwar while rejecting his protective bail plea.
The accused, wearing a mask, arrived at the court on a white car amid tight security. He was then taken to Courtroom number 1, where the hearing of the case was held by a three-member bench headed by CJP Mian Saqib Nisar.
"You are much brave. Where were you hiding? You used to arrest people but yourself remain in hiding" asked the CJP.
"I surrender before the court. I had life threats," replied Rao Anwar. "You are providing no favour to the court while surrendering before it. The law has no sympathies with an absconder," remarked the judge.
The court directed to unfreeze his accounts so his family won’t suffer financial woes. SC also took back the contempt of court notice against him and ordered to place his name in ECL.
The court directed to form a new Joint Investigation Team (JIT) headed by AIG Aftab Pathan to probe the murder of Mehsud. However; it refused the request of Rao Anwar’s lawyer to include representatives of intelligence agencies in the JIT.
During the hearing, Inspector General of Police Sindh A.D. Khowaja and NADRA authorities were also present in the court. After the court proceedings ended, Anwar was taken into custody and taken to airport in armored vehicle amid heavy security. He will be directly shifted to Karachi.
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On the other hand, security forces have also tightened their noose around the absconded police officers. At least 13 suspects in the case including SHO Amanullah are currently on the run.
Police has once again begun search for the escapees who are said to be in hiding in Balochistan and border areas.
Mehsud, a 27-year-old hailing from South Waziristan, was gunned down on January 13 in Shah Latif Town by alleged ‘encounter’ with a police team headed by Rao Anwar, however; preliminary probe suggest that Mehsud was killed in cold blood and had no terror links.
His killing sparked a social media outcry, as his family members rejected claims by authorities that he was a member of the Tehreek-e-Taliban, saying he was an innocent aspiring male model.
