SC asks intelligence agencies to help Sindh police arrest Rao Anwar

ISLAMABAD: Sindh police chief Allah Dino Khowaja on Thursday requested the Supreme Court to issue directives for all the law enforcement and intelligence agencies to help trace out former SSP Malir Rao Anwar.

Headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar, a three-judge bench directed the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Military Intelligence (MI) and Intelligence Bureau (IB) to extend cooperation to the Sindh police to arrest the suspended SP, who has gone into hiding.

The bench was hearing a suo motu case pertaining to the alleged extrajudicial murder of aspiring fashion model Naqeebullah.

It directed the police to provide protection to all witnesses in the murder case and restrained television channels from airing any news about Rao Anwar.

IG Sindh Khowaja apprised the judges of efforts his force has made to track him down.

CJP Nisar expressed displeasure over failure of the police to arrest him before the deadline set by him expired.

“I had given you 36 hours. Should you not have known about his whereabouts,” asked the chief justice.

“Don’t you know the court had granted a stay order against your removal from the post. The court was criticized because of the order” he said addressing Khowaja.

On this, the IG Sindh offered to relinquish his post.

He informed that Anwar’s phone has been switched off since January 19 and he also held a UAE work permit.

Police teams were deputed to Lakki Marwat and Islamabad to trace him out when his last location was traced near Dhoke Paracha, Tarnol in the federal capital.

The chief justice expressed apprehension that it may not be possible for the police to arrest him before the passage of one year.

Can a police officer hold a work permit, the chief justice questioned. “Had you not thought Rao Anwar will flee the country.”

Anwar has gone into hiding after registration of a murder case against him and his team for their involvement in what investigators described a fake/staged encounter.

On January 27, the apex court set three-day deadline for IG Police Sindh to arrest the SSP in the murder case of 27-year-old Naseemullah, better known as Nqeebullah Mehsud.

FIR No 40/18 under sections 365, 344, 302, 109 and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code and Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act has been registered at the Sachal Goth police station on the complaint of Naqeeb’s father Muhammad Khan against SSP Rao Anwar and his team.