Daily Times

KARACHI: Muhammad Khan Mehsud, father of slain Naqeebullah Mehsud, on Monday reminded the federal government, the Chief Justice of Pakistan, and the Chief of Army Staff of their promises to ensure justice in his son’s extrajudicial murder case.

Addressing a press conference, along with members of the Karachi Grand Jirga constituted to pursue Naqeebullah case, at the Karachi Press Club, Mehsud said, “When Naqeebullah was brutally killed in a staged encounter by the SSP Malir Rao Anwar and his accomplices, people across Pakistan expressed solidarity with us. I said that Naqeeb was not only my son, he was the son and brother of all those people who spoke against that injustice. Later, COAS General Qamar Bajwa visited my home in Waziristan and assured me of justice in the case. But it seems that justice will be unlikely, as the culprit is not being treated like an accused of murder.”

The press conference was held after the hearing of the case at the Anti-Terrorism Court, where the prosecutor, Ali Raza, excused himself, saying that he was getting threats for pursuing the case.

Also on Monday, Naqeeb’s father filed an application in the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Sindh office requesting an investigation into the illegal assets amassed by Rao Anwar allegedly by abusing his powers and authority as the Malir SSP.

Speaking at the press conference, the deceased youngster’s father added, “I believe that he [Rao Anwar] is not as mighty as the higher judiciary and our army chief. They must ensure that he is punished for the crimes he has committed and is held accountable for the wealth he has amassed through illegal means.”

Lawyer and activist Jibran Nasir was also present on the occasion. Referring to media reports of illegal businesses, and Anwar’s frequent visits to Dubai in the last few years, he said, “A Police SSP gets a monthly salary of a hundred and fourteen thousand and seven hundred and seventy two rupees (Rs114,772/), given these figures, his assets and his frequent visits to Dubai are not possible. The NAB is seen to be quite active in instances of financial irregularities by politicians, why hasn’t it yet initiated an inquiry against Rao Anwar?” Jibran asked, adding, “We will file an application in the Sindh High Court on Tuesday [today] requesting the court to take action against the special treatment provided to an accused of murder whose house has been declared sub-jail.”

Jibran cited the report of the police inquiry and the joint investigation team constituted on the Supreme Court orders and said that both reports had confirmed Anwar’s involvement in Naqeebullah’s murder.

He said, “If Rao Anwar’s life is under threat in the central jail, it raises serious question over the security arrangements at the facility.”

Speaking on the occasion, Saifur Rehman Mehsud, the focal person of the Karachi Grand Jirga, said, “Rao Anwar and his gang has killed 444 people in staged encounters. It’s not the matter of giving justice only to Naqeebullah Mehsud family. All the 444 families who have lost their loved ones in extrajudicial killings must get justice.”

“We demand from the Sindh government not to provide special treatment to their ‘brave kid’ and we will be waiting for action on our application. If they don’t stop treating him like a VIP, the Grand Jirga will call a meeting after Eid and decide a future course of action for protests. We have held peaceful protests in the past, but the authorities must not test our patience. Don’t let the matters go out of our control,” he said, adding that if they had to start another protest, it would be held at a much wider level and under the slogan, ‘Is Rao Anwar is mightier than the state?’.

Published in Daily Times, May 29^th 2018.