Daily Times

KARACHI: At least three more aides of suspended SSP Rao Anwar were arrested by police investigators probing the extrajudicial killing of South Waziristan youngster Naqeeb ullah Mehsud on Monday.

The number of arrests in the case has now increased to nine as the main accused Rao Anwar still remains at large.

The three cops arrested on Monday were identified as constables Abdul Ali, Shafiq and Ghulam Nazuk. They were posted at the Abbas Town police post and their arrests were made from the Sacchal area. Investigations SP Abid Qaimkhani confirmed the arrests saying that they were apprehended late on Sunday night. The police have acquired a seven-day remand of the suspects from the court.

Sources privy to the investigations said that the nine cops arrested so far belonged to the suspended SSP’s team, though, none of them were close enough to be part of Rao Anwar’s encounter team that killed Naqeebullah and three others in Shah Latif area on January 13.

“Six cops including Shah Latif SHO Amanullah Marwat (now suspended) are believed to be present at the time of the encounter and all of them including Rao Anwar remain at large,” said a senior police officer privy to the matter.

“We know that all of them are still inside the country. Different police teams have been dispatched in various parts of the country to trace and arrest them.” SSP Rao Anwar and his close aides have remained in hiding following Naqeebullah Mehsud’s killing. After outcry on social media, former Malir SSP Rao Anwar claimed that he and others killed that day were associated with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and Islamic State.

However, Naqeebullah’s friends and relatives strongly dismissed the claim saying that he was killed in cold blood and demanded that Anwar be arrested and proceeded against under the law. The family of another deceased, Qari Ahsan, later also approached the police for registering a kidnapping-cum-murder case against SSP Anwar and his team, however, a case has yet to be registered.

A murder and terrorism case was subsequently registered against Anwar and his team members after a three member inquiry committee headed by Additional IG CTD found them guilty.

The killing of Mehsud has sparked countrywide protests that still continue in different parts. A sit-in in front of the Islamabad Press Club ended over the weekend after the Prime Minister’s Office in writing assured the demonstrators that their demands would be met. On this, Manzoor Pashteen, leading the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement, said that the demonstrators would return to the federal capital if their demands were not met at the end of a month.

Taking suo motu notice of the incident, the Supreme Court of Pakistan had ordered the government to place Anwar’s name on the Exit Control List (ECL) and also ordered the police to arrest him and his associates. The court also ordered intelligence agencies to help police arrest the absconding officer who is known to be an encounter specialist and accused of killing several people.

Later on, the IGP Sindh constituted a high level investigation team headed by Additional IG Sindh Aftab Pathan to probe the case and arrest SSP Anwar and his team.

Published in Daily Times, February 13^th 2018.