SHC moved against Rao Anwar for allegedly killing 250 people in fake shootouts

ISLAMABAD: A petition seeking an inquiry against former SSP Malir Rao Anwar for allegedly killing around 250 innocent people in staged encounters was filed in the Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday.

Advocate Muzamil Mamtaz Meo Rajput filed the petition, naming Sindh Chief Secretary, Inspector General of Sindh Police, Deputy Inspector General of Police (East) and Rao Anwar as respondents.

The petition alleges the police officer, who has come under fire for alleged extrajudicial murder of 27-year-old Naqeebullah, killed many innocent people in fake encounters, but hardly few complaints surfaced against him as the legal heirs of those killed didn’t seek any action against him out of fear of persecution at the hand of the police.

Those who dared approach higher authorities for legal action against the police officer were not paid any heed, it states.

The petitioner wondered why Anwar was never transferred from Malir district despite serious allegations levelled against him.

In the past, SSP Anwar was suspended for umpteen times over the allegations of fake encounters, but got reinstated to his post.

The police officer had violated the fundamental rights of citizens, but no action was taken against him, he argued.

The lawyer requested the court to order an inquiry into the killing of more than 250 innocent persons in fake police encounters.

On January 20, Inspector General of Police Sindh Allah Dino Khowaja sacked Anwar from his post on the recommendations of a three-member committee formed to investigate the killing of 27-year-old Naqeebullah Mehsud in an allegedly fake shootout.

On January 13, Rao Anwar had claimed to have shot dead four members of the defunct Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in an encounter near Shah Latif Town in Karachi.

Family members of one of the killed terror suspects, Naqeebullah Mehsud, claimed that he was killed in a fake encounter, triggering widespread public outrage.