Naimat Khan
KARACHI: Supreme Court of Pakistan has given three-day deadline to police for arresting absconding Rao Anwar, who, the police committee had declared a killer of innocent Naqeeb Mehsud.
A three-member bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar and comprising Justice Gulzar Ahmed and Justice Faisal Arab was hearing suo moto case regarding the extra-judicial murder of Naqeeb Mehsud here at the apex court’s Karachi registry.
On the outset of proceedings, Inspector General of Police Sindh Allah Dino Khowaja, Additional IG Karachi and DIG appeared before the case. The absconding guilty officer Rao Anwar didn’t appear the court on which Justice Mian Saqib Nisar while addressing IGP Sindh AD Khowaja said that when will be Rao and his accomplices arrested.
Chief Justice remarked that Naqeeb Mehsud was our son and son of the entire Pakistan.
“Rao Anwar had to be produced in the court in any way, what efforts have you made for arresting him,” CJ asked IGP Sindh. IG Submitted that efforts have been made to arrest him after the FIR was lodged and when he was in Islamabad no FIR was lodged by then, which was legal requirement for his arrest.
Chief Justice asked if Rao Anwar was hiding in place where IG had no access. Hasn’t any one given shelter to Rao Anwar in Karachi and that place is not accessible for you. CJ asked AD Khowaja as up to when the absconding cop could be arrested? To this IGP replied that no definite time can be given. Chief Justice ordered IG Sindh to arrest Rao Anwar in three days and produce before the court.
Father of the Naqeeb Ullah, Muhammad Khan, also appeared before the court and urged upon the judges to do justice with him.
Naqeebullah’s father, who had also appeared in court, expressed his lack of trust in Sindh police and asked the court to form a judicial commission to investigate his son’s extra-judicial killing.
However, the CJP assured him that the court trusted the Sindh police and urged him to allow the joint investigation team and the police to continue with their investigation.
“A judicial commission cannot conduct a criminal investigation,” Justice Nisar explained to Naqeebullah’s father.
Justice Nisar asked Khowaja if he was under any political pressure, to which the IGP replied in the negative. The CJP told him to work “freely” and vowed that the court will not let “honest officers fail”.
Later, talking to the Media, AD Khowaja said Rao Anwar should surrender before the police. He expressed his ignorance as where the absconding police officers were.
