Police raid Rao Anwar's Islamabad residence as suspended cop remains missing

Published
25
Poster put up outside Anwar's Islamabad residence. —Photo by Shakeel Qarar
Poster put up outside Anwar's Islamabad residence. —Photo by Shakeel Qarar

After Supreme Court's deadline to arrest former SSP Malir Rao Anwar, wanted in the Naqeebullah murder case, expired on Tuesday, a contingent of Sindh police raided the suspended cop's Islamabad residence but failed to make any arrests.

According to Islamabad police, Anwar's residence in F-10/4 was raided by a police team from Karachi, which had registered its arrival to the city at the Shalimar Police Station on Monday.

A 'wanted' poster seeking information about the whereabouts of the absconding police officer was pasted outside the house.

Meanwhile, a man who allegedly announced Rs5 million in head money for Anwar on Facebook was remanded to police custody for two days and is expected to be transferred from Rawalpindi to Karachi. The remand was granted by Anti Terrorism Court (ATC) Judge Sulaiman Baig.

No accused more powerful than the law

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said an inquiry committee constituted in the Naqeebullah case had given its report within 48 hours and, following its recommendations, action was being taken in letter and spirit.

He was speaking to media in Karachi after the launch of European Union-assisted Programme for Improved Nutrition in Sindh.

Responding to a question, the chief minister said that he doesn’t know where Rao Anwar is hiding, but "I know that no accused is more powerful than the law".

He added that the police was working hard to arrest Anwar and all other provincial governments and agencies have been requested to help.

Naqeebullah, a 27-year-old hailing from South Waziristan, was among four men killed in an alleged encounter with a police team headed by Anwar in the Usman Khaskheli Goth on the outskirts of Karachi.

Anwar had insisted at the time that Naqeebullah was a militant affiliated with the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), but an inquiry committee on the issue later ruled that the encounter was staged.

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