RAWALPINDI: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has informed the Sindh police that former senior superintendent of police Rao Anwar, wanted by them in the extrajudicial killing of Naqeebullah Mehsud, has not travelled abroad.

According to official sources, the Sindh police had sought travel record of the former SSP from the FIA to know if he had left the country. Rao Anwar’s attempt to leave the country was foiled by the immigration staff at Benazir Bhutto International Airport on Jan 23.

In line with the Supreme Court’s orders to all state institutions, including intelligence agencies, to extend their support to the Sindh police in arresting Rao Anwar, the FIA has provided the travellers’ record from its integrated border management system installed at all international airports of the country.

Sources said Mr Anwar had not travelled abroad from any airport, land or sea route since his name had been placed on the ECL and the FIA’s immigration check-posts were keeping an eye on people’s movement.

However, they could not check individuals who crossed Pakistani territory illegally, an immigration official said.

Serious questions were raised about how such a high-profile suspect managed to slip away from the airport after he was denied boarding on a flight for Dubai and still remained on the run.

On the other hand, the FIA’s Interpol wing had issued Blue Notices to trace the location and activities of the high-profile fugitive, requesting the member countries for their assistance in capturing him.

The Blue Notices issued by Interpol had been sent to Qatar, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and European countries.

The effort by the FIA remained unproductive as the Qatari authorities have replied to the FIA’s Interpol wing that no such person (Rao Anwar) had entered Qatar’s territory. However, if he had made transit in Qatar, it was not known to them.

The same reply was given to the FIA by the UAE authorities, confirming that Rao Anwar had left Dubai on Sept 30, 2017 and since then he had not returned.

According to the FIA official, Blue Notice is mainly issued by Interpol to collect additional information about someone connected with a criminal investigation and to find his or her location or activities in the member countries.

Blue Notice can be issued before criminal charges are filed, whereas Red Notice is issued for the person charged with a crime or convicted for it.

Published in Dawn, March 2nd, 2018