Naqeebullah Mehsud case: ATC orders release of former SHO, several others

KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Karachi has ordered the release on bail of a former SHO and several other accused in the high-profile murder case of Naqeebullah Mehsud, ARY News reported.

The court directed the release of former SHO Amanullah Marwat along with co-accused Fida Hussain, Sadaqat Hussain, Riaz Ahmed, Raja Shamim, and Mohsin Abbas.

During the hearing, defence counsel argued that not a single witness had testified that the police encounter was fake. Following the conclusion of final arguments, the prosecution requested the court to reopen its side, which the court accepted.

The ATC observed that after allowing the prosecution to reopen its case, the accused could not be kept in prolonged detention, leading to their release on bail.

According to the prosecution, former SSP Malir Rao Anwar and 18 other police officials have already been acquitted in the case. It further informed the court that seven police officials, including Amanullah Marwat, had earlier been declared absconders but later surrendered before the court following its decision.

The prosecution stated that while one accused, Shoaib Shooter, is already on bail, the remaining accused, including Amanullah Marwat, had been in custody.

Who was Naqeebullah Mehsud

Mehsood,27, was killed on January 13, 2018, in Karachi during a ‘staged police encounter’ in Malir district.

Naqeebullah Mehsud, 27, an aspiring model and a textile factory worker, was fatally shot along with three other people during what police described as a raid on a hideout of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) armed group on January 13, 2018.

Mehsud’s family and the TTP denied that the 27-year-old was a member of the group. The ‘staged police encounter’ took place in Karachi’s Malir area.