KARACHI – Sindh Police have finally declared former SSP Rao Anwar as themain culprit in the Naqeebullah Mehsud’s encounter case, that had garneredthe attention of top court as well.
District Central SSP, Dr Rizwan Ahmad Khan, has submitted a supplementarycharge-sheet on the basis of Joint Investigation Team (JIT)’s report, whichholds Rao Anwar responsible for the encounter.
According to the ‘damaging’ charge-sheet, which has been formulated aftertaking statements of witnesses -including Muhammad Qasim and Hazrat Ali –and evidence, Rao Anwar was leading the team, which was involved inabducting, declaring Naqeebullah, Muhammad Ishaq, Muhammad Sabir and NazarJan as terrorists and later killing them in the fake encounter.
It is also stated that during interrogation, Anwar deliberately delayed thematter and withheld the facts and could not produce any evidence toestablish his innocence, however, it has been proven that he was present atthe crime scene, Express Tribune reported.
The investigators also unearthed Rao’s contact with police constablesJahangir Khanzada and Shakil Feroz through DSP Qamar and SHO AmanullahMarwat. It was also found that former DSP Qamar Ahmad compromised theevidence at the crime scene and acted as a facilitator to the team involvedin the encounter.
The police investigation says that the constable Shakil Feroz replacedmobile SIMs after the incident, however, the police have admitted that theweapons used in the encounter have yet to be seized.
The investigations were conducted by the JIT headed by Sindh AIG AftabPathan, which was devised on the directives of Supreme Court and it held 16meetings at different places to probe the high-profile case.
It is to be noted that Rao Anwar – who was arrested from the premises ofthe Supreme Court – had already filed a review petition against theSupreme Court’s order to re-constitute the JIT.
The police official expressed mistrust over the team and requested thatmembers of intelligence agencies should also be included in the team.However, the matter is yet to be fixed for hearing.