Daily Times

KARACHI: SSP Malir Rao Anwar has been removed from his post after the probe committee formed over the extrajudicial killing of Naqeebullah Mehsud found the 27-year-old to be innocent, sources confirmed on Saturday. The inquiry committee formed to probe Naqeebullah Mehsud’s alleged extrajudicial killing has termed the police encounter ‘suspicious’. The committee in its report also recommended the registration of a case against Rao Anwar and other personnel involved in Naqeebullah’s killing. Anwar’s name should also be placed on the Exit Control List (ECL), the report stated. ‘Justice will prevail’

After three days of the incident, no evidence pertaining to Naqeeb’s involvement in terrorism has been found. Banned outfits Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) commander, imprisoned in Karachi Central Jail, Qari Ahsan has said that he never heard of any operative named Naqeebullah Mehsud. Counter-terrorism Department (CTD) Additional Inspector General (IG) Sanaullah Abbasi and East Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Sultan Khawaja among four members of the probe committee recorded Qari Ahsan’s statement in Central Jail. Malir Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rao Anwar had claimed that Naqeebullah Mehsud worked with Qari Ahsan. Reportedly, Ahsan told the committee that neither he met the person nor ever heard his name. He said that he never saw Naqeeb in meetings of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan. Meanwhile, Shah Latif police station’s official has maintained that the terrorists have been killed when they arrived at the scene. The head of the committee, Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) Additional Inspector General Sanaullah Abbasi said earlier that justice will prevail in the case and the outcome will be based on merit. Abbasi said the committee is investigating the case and interviewing several people in relation to the issue. The AIG, in response to a question, said the team is under no pressure and added that they are ‘prisoners of their own conscience’.

Published in Daily Times, January 21^st 2018.