Sindh government not supporting Rao Anwar, says Nasir Shah
No one is above the law, says the provincial information minister
January 31, 2018
KARACHI: Sindh Information Minister Nasir Hussain Shah has denied allegations that the provincial government is protecting suspended SSP Malir Rao Anwar.
“The Sindh government is not supporting Rao Anwar. No one is above the law,” the minister said on Wednesday, a day after the three-day deadline by the Supreme Court to arrest the absconding official expired.
Anwar is wanted by authorities in connection to the extrajudicial murder of Naqeebullah Mehsud, a 27-year-old native of Waziristan who was among four suspected terrorists killed in an ‘exchange of fire’ with a police team led by 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. He has evaded arrest since then, with some speculating he may have fled the country to avoid accountability.
However, the suspended policeman yesterday denied fleeing Pakistan.
"I have not fled the country, I am in Pakistan," Anwar told Geo News from an undisclosed location. "I am sending an appeal for justice to the Chief Justice of Pakistan."
He also denied rumours of using property magnate Malik Riaz's aeroplane and hiding in Bilawal House.
"I have no such terms with Asif Ali Zardari to take asylum at Bilawal House," Anwar said, adding that the Pakistan Peoples Party co-chairman and former president had never asked him to carry out any unlawful tasks.
Eyewitnesses identifies police suspects
Meanwhile, during the hearing of the Naqeebullah murder case at a judicial magistrate court in Malir today, two eyewitnesses identified three police officials as suspects in the case.
The suspects identified were police officials Mohammad Iqbal, Arshad Ali and Allahyar, who were allegedly present at the scene of the ‘fake encounter’ in which Naqeebullah was killed.
The eyewitnesses told the court that Allahyar was in plain clothes at that time, and held a Kalashnikov in his hands.
The eyewitnesses along with Naqeebullah were allegedly picked up by Anwar's team from a hotel on January 3 and kept in illegal detention. The two were reportedly let go after they bribed the police but Naqeebullah was kept in detention and later killed in the 'encounter'.
Following the incident, an FIR was registered against the suspended SSP Anwar and his associates, owing to their no-show and alleged involvement in the case.
An inquiry committee, headed by Counter-Terrorism Department Additional IG Sanaullah Abbasi, submitted its report on the case to the Supreme Court last week, which stated that Naqeebullah was killed in a 'fake encounter' with the police.
Meanwhile, Inspector General of Police Sindh AD Khawaja on Sunday wrote a letter to intelligence agencies seeking their help in arresting Anwar.
