Rao Anwar files review petition against Naqeebullah JIT
April 06, 2018
KARACHI: Suspended Malir SSP Rao Anwar filed a review petition on Thursday against the Supreme Court’s March 21 judgment ordering constitution of a five-member Joint Investigation Team under Sindh Additional Inspector General Aftab Pathan.
The review petition seeks removal of Aftab as JIT head and inclusion of intelligence agencies officials under the Article 19 of the anti-terrorism act as the suspended cop alleged that the team under AIG Pathan is not taking into account the documents being provided by him in his defence.
Anwar was named an accused in the extrajudicial murder case of Naqeebullah Mehsud and three others who were killed in a fake police encounter in Karachi on January 13, allegedly on his orders.
The accused after absconding in the case since late January was arrested on March 21 on the orders of a three-member Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice Justice Saqib Nisar after he finally appeared in court and later transported to Karachi.
Anwar was being held at the Malir Cantt police station amid tight security. The court has allowed his 30-day remand (until April 21) of the suspect on request of the investigation officer.
The CJP resumed hearing of the Naqeebullah suo motu case when Anwar appeared in court in a white-coloured Toyota Corolla with a police escort.
Anwar had raised the same objection over the JIT composition during the Supreme Court hearing as he expressed a lack of faith in the Sindh Police and pleaded to include officials of the ISI and Intelligence Bureau.
Chief Justice Nisar dismissed the plea and remarked he knows why the police officer wanted to include the agencies' officials in the committee.
Following the directions, Anwar was arrested from outside the court by the Islamabad police and transported amid tight security to the heavily protected Diplomatic Enclave.
Naqeebullah case
Naqeebullah, a native of Waziristan accused of being a terrorist, was allegedly killed on the orders of Anwar, the then SSP of Malir, in what was later called a fake encounter.
Following claims of innocence from Naqeebullah’s family, an enquiry committee was formed which cleared the 27-year-old of any wrongdoing. An FIR was registered against Anwar and others in the case.
