Rao Anwar’s whereabouts still unknown amid tribesmen protest in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: The law enforcement agencies are still to make headway in tracing suspended SSP Rao Anwar amid growing outrage at the extrajudicial killing of 27-year-old youth Naqeeb from South Waziristan.

The Mehsud tribesmen are staging sit-in in Islamabad over a fake ‘encounter’ in Karachi. The protesters are demanding the immediate arrest of SSP Rao Anwar, who has gone into hiding after registration of a murder case against him and his team for their involvement in what investigators described a fake encounter.

Earlier this week, the Supreme Court (SC) ordered all state institutions to extend support to Sindh police to trace down the absconding cop.

Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar also ordered Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to approach Interpol authorities outside Pakistan for arrest of Anwar and renewed a 10-day deadline for provincial police to hunt the suspended cop at large.

On January 27, the apex court had 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.

Naqeebullah Mehsud was killed in alleged fake encounter conducted by the Malir SSP Rao Anwar on January 13, 2018 in the eastern suburb of Karachi. The police officer claimed that Mehsud had links with proscribe organisations like Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and the Islamic State.

A Joint Investigation Team (JIT) formed to probe the case later revealed that Naqeebullah’s death was an extrajudicial killing.