KARACHI: Sindh Home Minister Sohail Anwar Siyal on Thursday has appointedDeputy Inspector General (DIG) South Zone Azad Khan as an investigationofficer into Naseemullah alias Naqeebullah Mehsud encounter case.

Acting on notice of Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal BhuttoZardari, the provincial home minister anticipated justice to be done in thecase.

“I have appointed DIG police south zone Azad Khan as I.O [investigationofficer] in Naqeeb Mehsood case, he is well reputed police officer I’m surejustice will be done,” he tweeted on Thursday.

On the other hand, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Malir Rao Anwarhas refuted the news making rounds on the social media that it was an‘extrajudicial killing’.

According to Anwar, 27-year-old Mehsud from South Waziristan was involvedin target killings, attacks on security forces and had an affiliation withthe proscribed terror outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Anwar also claimed that Nakeebullah was a close aide of TTP commander Wahaband had possessed a fake National Identity Card with a name of Naseemullah.

Dismissing a social media campaign against him, SSP Rao Anwar reiteratedthat the deceased was a terrorist. “Police raided the terrorists’ hideoutat Shah Latif town on a tip-off. The suspects fired on police and hurledhand grenades and in retaliatory firing all the terrorists were killed,”Anwar told media.

However, the acquaintances and relatives of Nakeeb have been denying thepolice claims, as what they say, Naseemullah was never involved in criminalactivities. “Naseemullah disappeared from Sohrab Goth on January 3,” arelative told the media.

Naseemullah had arrived in Karachi a year ago and was running a garmentshop at Al-Asif Square in Sohrab Goth, the relatives informed media.