KARACHI: Former SSP Rao Anwar, the prime accused in the case pertaining to the extrajudicial killing of Naqeebullah Mehsud, an aspiring model from Waziristan, and three others, is set to be released from the temporary detention facility as an antiterrorism court on Friday granted him bail in a second case related to seizing of explosives and weapons from the victims.

However, Rao Anwar would spend another night in his Malir cantonment house, which has been declared a sub-jail, since the court accepted Rs1 million surety bonds deposited on behalf of the accused, but could not issue his release order as the court time was over.

Rao Anwar, former DSP Qamar Ahmed Shaikh and their 10 absconding subordinates were booked in the second case for foisting pistols and hand grenades on Naqeebullah and three others after killing them in a staged shootout in Shah Latif Town on Jan 13.

The ATC-II judge granted Rao Anwar bail primarily on the ground that the he had nothing to do with the weapons allegedly foisted on the victims since he was not part of the police team that took part in the alleged fake shootout, said defence counsel Amir Mansoob Qureshi.

Last week, the same court granted Rao Anwar bail observing that the mobile phone call data record failed to establish his presence at the scene of the alleged fake shootout.

On Tuesday, the court had reserved its verdict in the second case after hearing arguments from the defence and prosecution while the complainant’s counsel had boycotted the proceedings which, he said, were continuing though he had expressed no confidence in the judge.

In his arguments, the defence counsel said since Rao Anwar was not present at the time when the alleged fake encounter took place, he had nothing to do with the alleged foisting of the arms and explosives on the victims.

The then investigating officer — SSP Abid Qaimkhani — had filed a report under B (bogus) class in five cases regarding alleged recovery against Naqeebullah, Mohammad Sabir, Nazar Jan and Mohammad Ishaq registered after their killing, declaring that the cases were fake, the counsel said. The ATC’s administrative judge did not pass an order to register a case against the police team in this regard, but the investigation officer lodged the case.

The defence counsel alleged that the Rao Anwar had been framed in the cases due to professional rivalry and requested the court to grant bail to him.

Special Public Prosecutor Nazeer Ahmed argued that the investigations conducted by the police investigation officer and a joint investigation team constituted on the Supreme Court order suggested that the former SSP was present at the crime scene at the time the four men were killed.

Published in Dawn, July 21st, 2018