Karachi (Staff Report): An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Monday indicted former SSP Malir Rao Anwar and other co-accused in Naqeebullah murder case.
Rao Anwar and other suspects were presented in the court for the hearing. They denied the charges as the court indicted them.
Out of those indicted, the former cop along with DSP Qamar, Muhammad Yaseen, SI Hussain, and Hazrat Hayat are currently on bail while 13 others are imprisoned. Another seven suspects have been declared absconders after failing to appear before the court.
The ATC ordered the complainant and the magistrate, who recorded the testimonies of eye witnesses, to appear on April 11 and adjourned the hearing.
On January 13, 2018, Naqeebullah Mehsud and three others were killed in a staged police encounter carried out by former SSP Rao Anwar and his team at Usman Khaskheli Goth on the outskirts of Karachi.
Rao claimed that Naqeebullah, Sabir, Nazar Jan, and Ishaq were Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants.
Following claims of innocence from Naqeebullah's family, an inquiry committee was formed but Anwar and his police party went into hiding.
An FIR was registered against the suspended SSP and his associates, owing to their no-show and alleged involvement in the case.
The committee, headed by Counter-Terrorism Department Additional IG Sanaullah Abbasi, in its report submitted to the Supreme Court, stated that Naqeebullah was killed in a 'fake encounter' with the police.