Daily Times

An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) reserved its decision on former Malir SSP Rao Anwar’s bail plea in a case involving possession of explosives and illegal weapons on Tuesday.

The ATC will give its verdict on Anwar’s bail plea on July 20. Moreover, a decision has also been reserved regarding the bail plea of DSP Qamar Ahmed along with four others in the Naqeebullah Mehsud murder case.

A week ago, the ATC granted bail to Anwar in the Naqeebullah murder case. The court had directed the former Malir SSP to submit Rs1 million (mn) in bail bonds.

Anwar, along with 11 of his subordinates, is facing trial before the ATC for allegedly killing Mehsud, a shopkeeper and aspiring model from South Waziristan, and three others in a staged encounter on January 13 in Malir.

Yesterday, Naqeebullah’s father Mohammad Khan spoke to the media and expressed a lack of confidence in the ATC judge hearing the murder case. Mohammad Khan and his lawyers had also boycotted the hearing to submit an application requesting the transfer of the case to another court.

According to the application submitted by the Naqeebullah’s father, the judge presiding over the case did not take notice of Anwar’s protocol despite a petition filed earlier.

On the occasion, Mohammad Khan’s lawyers also told the media that several key witnesses in the case had retracted their statements because they were receiving threats. They said that they had filed a plea pertaining to threats to witnesses but the presiding judge did not announce any decision on it.

Published in Daily Times, July 18^th 2018.