KARACHI: An antiterrorism court on Tuesday fixed March 25 as the date for indictment of former SSP Rao Anwar and other police officials in the Naqeebullah Mehsud murder case.

Then SSP Anwar, then DSP Qamar Ahmed Shaikh along with their 13 detained and seven absconding subordinates have been booked for allegedly killing four men in a staged encounter by dubbing them militants associated with Daesh, or the militant Islamic State group, and outlawed Lashkar-i-Jhangvi in Shah Latif Town on Jan 13, 2018.

On Tuesday, the ATC-III judge allowed the plea of complainant, the father of Naqeeb, and amalgamated two criminal cases registered against the former SSP and others.

ATC rejects report seeking disposal of a kidnapping and murder case against ACLC officials in B class

The judge also fixed the matter for their indictment on March 25 and adjourned the hearing.

Counsel for complainant Salahuddin Panhwar had moved the application under Section 21M of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, mentioning that the first case (FIR 40/2018) was registered by Khan Mohammad regarding alleged kidnapping for ransom, unlawful detention and murder of his son Naseebullah, better known as Naqeebullah Mehsud, and other victims against the then SSP Rao Anwar and his subordinates at the Shah Latif Town police station.

The second case (FIR 142/2018) was lodged by the former investigating officer, SSP Abid Qaimkhani, against Rao Anwar and other police officials for allegedly foisting false recoveries of illicit arms, ammunitions and explosives on the victims. Since both the cases were interconnected and pertained to the same incident, Advocate Panhwar asked the judge to club them together for initiating a joint trial.

Probe report in activist’s killing case rejected

An antiterrorism court has rejected an investigating report by declaring it “false” in a case pertaining to the abduction and murder of a political activist in a ‘fake’ encounter by officials of the Anti-Car Lifting Cell.

ACLC officials Shahzad Ali Khan, Chaudhry Mohammad Saleem, Waqas Anwar along with others have been booked for allegedly abducting a PPP-SB activist, Asadullah Umrani, and killing him in a ‘fake’ encounter on Oct 15 last year.

The ATC-XI judge took up the final investigation report through which the investigating officer recommended disposal of the case in B class, or being false.

The IO mentioned that no evidence regarding presence of the suspects at the crime scene could be determined, thus the allegations levelled by the complainant in the FIR could not be proved during the course of investigations.

After hearing arguments from both sides, the judge observed that as per the contents of the FIR, the suspects abducted the victim from his house between 8pm and 9pm and killed him in an alleged police encounter within the remit of the Gulshan-i-Maymar police station.

The victim along with others was booked in two cases on charges of alleged encounter, assault on the policemen, deterring them from discharging official duties, terrorism and possessing illicit weapon, but the IO disposed of both cases in ‘C’ class, or cancelled, he added.

The judge added that the case’s record showed that all witnesses supported the version of the FIR in their statements

He mentioned that the IO recommended disposal of the case in ‘B’ class since the suspects denied their presence at the crime scene.

“Such plea cannot be decided without recording evidence,” the judge ruled, adding that the record showed that the accused were nominated by the complainant in the FIR and the statements of the witnesses supported the version of the complainant.

“There is sufficient material available prima facie to connect the accused with commission of the offence,” the judge said and rejected the investigation report seeking disposal of the case as false.

Published in Dawn, March 20th, 2019