KARACHI: The Supreme Court (SC) on Saturday has given a three-day deadline to the Inspector General of Police in Sindh Allah Dino Khawaja to arrest the former Malir Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rao Anwar.
While hearing the suo motu case regarding the extrajudicial killing of Naqeebullah Mehsud in an alleged fake encounter by the former SSP Malir, Cheif Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar inquired from the IG Sindh about the arrest of Rao Anwar.
The SC had asked Rao Anwar to appear before the bench today, but he did not appear.
“Why Anwar has not appeared before the bench and what attempts has been made to arrest him?” asked the CJP.
He has run away, replied the IG Sindh adding that the police have tried everything to arrest Rao Anwar.
“Tell us, has Anwar fled the country?” Nisar inquired.
AD Khawaja replied that it was possible Rao Anwar had fled abroad, but nothing could be said for certain yet.
The CJP directed the Interior Ministry and Civil Aviation Authority to submit travel details of Rao Anwar’s suspected escape from Pakistan.
Nisar also told the IG Sindh to do his work without accepting any external pressure.
Naqeebullah, 27, hailing from South Waziristan and residing in Karachi since 2008, was reportedly aspiring to become a model. He was allegedly apprehended by police in Karachi on January 2, 2018, and was killed on January 17 in a controversial encounter besides three other suspects by a police team headed by (SSP) Rao Anwar in the Usman Khaskheli Goth on the outskirts of Karachi
Rao Anwar had claimed that Naqeebullah was a Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan’s (TTP) militant.
However, a statement reportedly issued by a spokesman of TTP’s South Waziristan chapter termed Rao Anwar’s claim as ‘baseless’, saying Naqeebullah had no links with the banned militant outfit.
The police have yet to arrest the Malir SSP, despite the registration of a murder case against him by Naqeebullah’s father.