ATC allows Rao Anwar B-class prison facilities

KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Saturday allowed a plea filed by former SSP Malir Rao Anwar seeking B-class prison facilities. 

The ATC judge announced the verdict in presence of Anwar and said the decision on an application challenging his house having been declared a sub-jail would be given after the Sindh High Court decides a similar petition.

The hearing was adjourned till June 14.

The former SSP Malir along with 10 of his subordinates has been arrested on charges of abducting Naqeebullah Mehsud for ransom and later killing him along with three other detainees in a fake encounter on Jan 13 in the outskirts of the city.

Naqeeb’s father has challenged the Sindh government’s move to declare Multan Lines in Malir Cantt as a sub-jail to incarcerate the sacked police officer.

A day earlier, the SHC  directed the provincial home secretary to submit comments on a petition challenging a notification which declared former Anwar’s home a sub-jail.

It directed the home secretary to submit comments till June 20 and warned that upon failure, it would decide the case on the basis of record available to it.

Muhammad Khan Mehsud had filed a constitutional petition in the high court, contending that the provincial government unconstitutionally and illegally declared the suspended police officer’s residence sub-jail on pretext of security concerns.

He pleaded with the court to declare the notification in question illegal and order transfer of Anwar to prison.