Naqeebullah killing case: Rao Anwar’s encounter team member held

By
Afzal Nadeem Dogar
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KARACHI: A police official who served in the encounter team of suspended Malir SSP Rao Anwar has been arrested, police sources informed early Friday.

Anwar and around 10 other policemen are accused in the extrajudicial murder of 27-year-old Naqeebullah Mehsud and three others who were killed in a fake police encounter in Karachi on January 13 on Anwar's orders.

According to sources, constable Shakeel was arrested in a joint operation by the police’s special unit and an intelligence agency. He was still posted in Malir despite the registration of an FIR against him.

'Rao Anwar was giving instructions from APC'

Later in the day, Shakeel was produced before the anti-terrorism court hearing the case and sent on physical remand until April 21.

Shakeel has reportedly claimed that Anwar was sitting inside an armoured vehicle giving instructions during the 'encounter'. 

Police investigators have claimed that Shakeel was part of the team which killed Mehsud and in fact pulled the trigger.

Anwar, after absconding in the case since late January, was arrested on the Supreme Court's orders in March after he finally appeared in court.

He is presently on remand with the Malir police, as is DSP Qamar Ahmed and other policemen wanted in the case.