IG Sindh assures Supreme Court of Rao Anwar's arrest in few days

KARACHI: Inspector General of Sindh police A.D. Khowaja requested on Friday the Supreme Court to give more time to find and arrest fugitive police officer Rao Anwar, the main suspect behind the murder of an aspiring fashion model from South Waziristan.

Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar, who headed a bench, was hearing a case pertaining to the death of 27-year-old Naqeebullah Mehsud in a staged encounter at the apex court’s Karachi registry.

The provincial police chief informed that he had acquired CCTV footage of the movement of Rao Anwar at Islamabad and Karachi airports, but needed some time to examine it.

He sought more time to arrest the absconding police officer, saying he expected headway in the case in the next two to three days. The chief justice directed him to submit a progress report on next hearing.

The hearing of the case was adjourned till Monday when the bench would take up the matter in Islamabad.

At the previous hearing, the chief justice had directed IG Khowaja to give an in-camera briefing on the suspended police officer’s movement captured by CCTV cameras when he was stopped at Islamabad airport while trying to flee abroad.

CJP Nisar revealed that Rao Anwar has sent a letter to the Supreme Court with a request to unfreeze his bank accounts.

He expressed skepticism about the veracity of the letter, saying it was not clear whether the letter was authentic or not.

He regretted that no progress was made with regard to the arrest of the absconding officer apart from submission of reports.

IG Sindh maintained his force was making all-out efforts to arrest him. He said a charge-sheet against the arrested members of the team that carried out encounter in which Naqeeb was killed was submitted to the trial court concerned.

Justice Umar Ata Bandial said it was possible that someone was providing the sacked police officer shelter from the police.

The chief justice asked if CCTV footage of the movement of Rao Anwar at Islamabad airport was available to which IG Sindh replied in the affirmative, requesting that the bench should watch it in their chamber.