ISLAMABAD – The inquiry committee probing the Naqeebullah extrajudicialkilling case submitted on Friday its report to the Supreme Court, whichwill hear the suo motu case at its Karachi Registry tomorrow.Naqeebullah Mehsud, a 27-year-old native of Waziristan, was among foursuspected terrorists killed in an ‘exchange of fire’ with a police team ledby Malir SSP Rao Anwar on January 13 in Shah Latif Town, Karachi.
Following claims of innocence from Naqeebullah’s family, an inquirycommittee was formed after which Anwar and the raiding police partyofficials went into hiding. Anwar and his associates were also suspended bythe government and an FIR registered against them owing to their no-showand alleged involvement in the case.
In the 15-page report, the inquiry committee headed Counter-TerrorismDepartment (CTD)Additional IG Sanaullah Abbasi, says that Naqeebullah waspicked up from Sohrab Goth on January 3 along with two others.
The two people picked up with him were let go after giving bribes, thereport states, adding that their statements have been recorded and madepart of the investigation.
Moreover, it has been stated in the report that 26 casings of sub-machineguns in use by the police were recovered from the site of the ‘encounter’and there was no evidence of firing from the victims — alleged terrorists.
It adds that all the officials involved in the incident have gone intohiding.
Sindh IG responds to Rao Anwar’s allegations
IG Sindh AD Khawaja, while responding to Rao Anwar’s allegations thatKhawaja condones extrajudicial killings, said on Thursday that thesuspended SSP Malir is using baseless allegations to evade the law.
Khawaja said he never gave orders for extrajudicial killings, nor has thisbeen the policy of the Sindh Police.
He asked Anwar to refrain from speaking lies and surrender himself, andappear before the joint investigation team.
Anwar had said the CTD, crimes branch and local police “also” carry outfake encounters, apparently referring to the claims slamming him for suchencounters.
However, Anwar added, if he would be charged then higher officials of thepolice department would also be questioned as it was their orders that heworked on.
About Naqeebullah killing case, Anwar said he would have cooperated withthe police department had they talked to him properly on the issue, as healso wanted to know who was at fault. “[But] case of terrorism has beenfiled against a person [himself] on the hit list of terrorists.”
Earlier in the day, Anwar demanded a JIT be formed with members ofintelligence agencies in it.
In a statement issued to the media earlier on Thursday, Anwar called thecase filed against him ‘baseless’, adding that a few police officers held agrudge against him and were misdirecting the family of late Naqeebullah.