Police detain Rao Anwar's close aide in Naqeebullah killing case

KARACHI: Hidayat Shar, the in-charge of a police checkpoint in Ahsanabad, was taken into custody Wednesday night over the belief that he is one of the close aides of former SSP Malir Rao Anwar, sources revealed to Geo News.

The sources added that the investigative committee for the Naqeebullah killing case in Karachi had compiled their report, which will now be handed over to Inspector-General of Police (IGP) for Sindh A.D. Khawaja and will subsequently be presented in the Supreme Court.

According to the report, police raided numerous locations in Karachi in their attempt to arrest Anwar, the sources noted, adding that an officer thought to be the official's close aide was detained.

Petition for severe measures against suspects

As per the sources, the compiled report contains significant information pertaining to the motives behind kidnapping and murder of Naqeebullah on January 13 as well request to take severe measures against the suspects involved.

Sources also disclosed that those involved in the fake police encounter, including wanted suspect Rao Anwar and his team, have disappeared to an unknown hideout, while the IGP Sindh had ordered raids as well as any other measure possible to arrest Anwar. In this regard, police have raided numerous locations in Karachi.

Furthermore, there has been no intel pertaining to Anwar travelling from Islamabad to Karachi; yet, operations are underway to determine his current location, the sources said.

Police teams have been advised to check different localities in Islamabad, as well as any other potential location, that could be Anwar's hideout.

On the other hand, Chief Minister of Sindh Murad Ali Shah earlier today noted that extrajudicial killing is unacceptable and that Anwar was not issued a no-objection certificate (NOC).

The IGP Sindh does not need permission to arrest him, Shah added.

Naqeebullah's killing

On January 13, Anwar had announced that Naqeebullah was killed in a suspicious encounter in Karachi's Shah Latif Town and declared him to be a terrorist who belonged to a banned organisation

Based on the backlash following Naqeebullah's killing, the Government of Sindh formed an investigative committee, which subsequently termed the encounter as suspicious.

The Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Saqib Nisar, on the other hand, had also taken a suo moto action of the incident.