KARACHI: A top-ranking police officer has accused former Malir SSP Rao Anwar of “disobedience, misconduct, high-handedness, involvement in land-grabbing and collusion with reti bajri mafia” and that he “thrived on political patronage and extraneous influences” during his career.

Rao Anwar, who has been facing trial for allegedly killing Naqeeb Ullah Mehsud and three others in a staged encounter, has recently levelled allegations against former Sindh police chief A.D. Khowaja in the media.

He had given an interview to a private channel in which he described Mr Khowaja as a “hypocrite” and accused him of issuing orders to “kill criminals and dump their bodies” among other things.

Mr Khowaja, who is a grade-22 officer currently posted as the commandant of the National Police Academy, responded to the allegations of his recalcitrant subordinate and sent him a legal notice.

A.D. Khowaja accuses former Malir SSP of collusion with ‘mafias’

The former Sindh police chief said that he had provided security to the father of Naqeeb, who lodged the murder FIR, and other witnesses in the case due to ‘serious life threats’ to them from Rao Anwar and his team.

The legal notice, a copy of which is provided to Dawn, said that the former police chief “was completely unhappy” with Rao Anwar due to his “disobedience and misconduct on many accounts” as well as his “extra-departmental influences, high-handedness, involvement in land grabbing and collusion with reti bajri mafia”.

He recalled that Rao Anwar was suspended in 2017 after his raided the house of the then leader of the opposition in the Sindh Assembly Khwaja Izhar despite the fact that it was not in his jurisdiction.

He said he was reinstated by the Sindh chief secretary “without seeking recommendation” of the IGP-Sindh and posted as the SSP of Malir district.

He said that Rao Anwar twice tried to escape the country after a case was registered against him for killing Naqeeb and three others in a staged encounter, but he was barred due to timely inclusion of his name on the watch list.

He said that the former SSP remained absconder in the case, which was highlighted in the national and international media and the Supreme Court took suo motu notice and he got no option but to surrender before the apex court.

The then police chief believed that Rao Anwar levelled allegations against him because of his “personal grudge” since Mr Khowaja had suspended him twice, placed his name on the Exit Control List (ECL), registered a case and arrested him.

“You are known as a notorious police official who thrived on political patronage and extraneous influences,” Mr Khowaja stated in the legal notice.

Published in Dawn, July 1st, 2022