Police carry out raids to arrest Rao Anwar, other policemen in Naqeeb murder case

KARACHI: Police have been carrying out raids to arrest former SSP Malir Rao Anwar and seven other policemen nominated in FIR of Naqeebullah Mehsud’s extrajudicial killing.

This was stated by Deputy Inspector General (DIG) East Sultan Khawaja on Wednesday while talking to the media.

He said police have also conducted overnight raids in Karachi to make an arrest but no major breakthrough could be achieved as the suspended cops have turned off their mobile phones and went underground.

On the occasion, he shared the identity of another killed alongside Naqeebullah as Nazar Jan, adding, the deceased was picked up from Sohrab Goth on 18 May 2017.

A large number of people including the family members and relatives of killed men are staging protests in Karachi’s outlying Sohrab Goth area. The protesters have been calling a judicial inquiry into the extrajudicial killings.

FIR lodged against policemen

Earlier on Tuesday, police had registered an FIR in extrajudicial murder of Naqeebullah Mehsud against under-fire SSP Rao Anwar and seven other policemen at Sachal police station in Karachi.

The case has been registered on complaint of Muhammad Khan Mehsud, Naqeebullah’s father, incorporating terrorism, kidnapping and murder charges.

According to the FIR, Naqeebullah alongside two other men named as Qasim and Hazrat Ali were picked up by policemen in plain clothes on January 3 at the behest of Rao Anwar from Abul Hasan Ispahani road around 3:00 pm.

The other two men were released after three days on January 6 but Naqeebullah’s whereabouts remained unknown until the news of his killing in a ‘fake’ police encounter started making rounds on social media, the FIR added.

It has been learnt that the two men have now become eye-witnesses in the case and documented their statements before the inquiry committee.

Both witnesses have accused police personnel of taking bribe for their safe release.

Naqeebullah was innocent: Inquiry Committee

On Tuesday (yesterday), Additional Inspector General (AIG) of the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) Dr Sanaullah Abbasi, who heads the inquiry committee probing into the killing, announced that Naqeebullah was innocent and his death was an extrajudicial killing.

Addressing Mehsud tribal jirga (gathering) at Sohrab Goth, Abbasi assured the tribesmen that the case would be taken to its logical conclusion.

Who was Naseemullah?

Naseemullah better known as Naqeebullah Mehsud was a 27-year-old from South Waziristan. He was recently killed in an alleged police encounter in Karachi.

Senior Superintendent Police (SSP) Malir Rao Anwar was heading the police raiding team, which claimed to kill three terrorists in Karachi’s Shah Latif Town.

The SSP Malir said he has sufficient evidence that the slain youth was a terrorist but family members, relatives and friends remember him as a person who loved to take care of himself and wanted to become a model.

ARY News learnt that the handsome and well-dressed young man was fond of taking selfies and pictures and he wished to see his son as a Pakistan Army officer.

After going through his pictures one can see that he aspired to become a model.

What Naqeeb’s friends say?

Naqeeb had migrated along his family from Waziristan to Karachi. The money he used to earn through laborious work in a mill were mostly spent on his hair style and clothes, told his relative Noor Mehsud.

Noor said he was very sensitive about his hair style.

Naqeeb not only cared for his personal hair but he would also do his son’s hair in David Beckham style. Watching his videos and pictures doing rounds on social media one feels like he was a normal person just like many other men living in the megapolis and he knew how to enjoy his life.

Apart from a son, he has also left behind two daughters.

People are raising questions on social media along posting his beautiful pictures asking whether a terrorist looks like this.