Daily Times

Dr Rizwan, the officer investigating the murder case of Naqeebullah Mehsud has revealed that a key eyewitness has gone missing.

Naqeebullah Mehsud an aspiring model was among four people killed in a fake police encounter in Karachi in January 2018. Former Senior Superintended Police (SSP) Rao Anwar along with other police officers are accused of killing Naqeebullah.

SSP Dr Rizwan presented his report during the hearing of the murder case in an anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Saturday. SSP Malir Rao Anwar, DSP Qamar and other accused were present for the hearing.

In the report, Dr Rizwan revealed that Anwar and other accused were extremely brutal, influential and powerful officers. He added that the key eyewitness in the case had gone missing. According to Dr Rizwan, the eyewitness had become disturbed due to the influence of the accused.

Dr Rizwan informed the court that the accused can scare witnesses into changing their statements, however, effective digital evidence can be used to prosecute them. He called on the court to dismiss the bails of Rao Anwar and others, urging that if this did not happen the accused could influence witnesses.

Dr Rizwan further informed the court that requirements to declare fugitives as most wanted had been complete and these included Amanullah Marwat, Akbar Mallah, Mohsin Abbas and others.

The court directed to indict the accused during the next hearing on February 19.

Moreover, the investigation officer informed the court that the process for declaring absconding accused proclaimed offenders has been completed.

The court on the report of investigation officer A.I.G Dr Rizwan declared the absconders in the case proclaimed offenders. Several police officials, wanted in the murder case, have been at large.

The court declared sub inspector Amanullah Marwat, sub inspector Mohammad Shoaib alias Shoaib Shooter, ASI Gada Hussain, head constables Mohsin Abbas and Sadaqat Hussain, constables Shams Mukhtar and Rana Riaz Ahmed proclaimed offenders.

The ATC announced to frame charges in the case in the next hearing and adjourned the case till February 19.

An inquiry report submitted in the trial court declared the murder of Mehsud and other three people in Karachi an incident of “extra judicial killing.

“All four people including Naqeebullah were killed in a room and the weapons were kept at the scene afterwards,” adding that former Senior Superintendent Police Malir, Rao Anwar and his other accomplices were present at the time of the incident.

Anwar along with other police officials had been booked for allegedly killing four men in a fake police encounter in Shah Latif Town on Jan 13.

Published in Daily Times, February 10^th 2019.