PTI chief demands immediate arrest of Rao Anwar

KARACHI: Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan on Saturday demanded immediate arrest of former Senior Superintendent Police (SSP) Malir Rao Anwar for his alleged involvement in scores of fake encounter killings in Karachi, ARY News reported.

“The biggest problem of Karachi is its police. Had police been apolitical, Rangers would not have been required in the metropolis. The governments of Sindh and Punjab manipulate police for their personal gains,” he said addressing a media conference outside airport upon his arrival on a two-day visit to Karachi.

The inquiry committee investigating Naqeebullah Mehsud’s killing on Friday submitted its initial report to the Supreme Court declaring the 27-year-old victim innocent and rejecting the claims made by suspended SSP Malir in light of the evidences.

Read More: Six suspects handed over to police on physical remand in Naqeeb case

According to the report, a total number of 745 ‘registered’ encounters took place in Malir during tenure of the beleaguered cop and as many as 444 accused were killed in the encounters, besides 891 suspects were arrested.

Expressing resentment over the extrajudicial killing of Naqeebullah Mehsud, Imran Khan said no police official could dare commit such a hideous crime, unless he has patronage of an influential political person.

Anwar, who led the encounter in which the young man was killed along with three others, is believed to have gone into hiding after the registration of the murder case against him.

Disparaging the governments of Sindh and Punjab, the PTI chief said policing system in both the provinces was deteriorated.

Read More: IG Sindh gets three days to arrest Rao Anwar in Naqeeb case

“Asif Zardari and Nawaz Sharif plundered wealth of the country. They have enslaved police of their respective provinces,” he said.

On the other hand, he said, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had brought down crime in the province by freeing police from any political interference (through the Police Act) and selection based on merit through the NTS.