KARACHI: Inspector General of Police (IGP) Sindh AD Khowaja on Saturday removed top police officer Rao Anwar from the post of SSP Malir in view of the Sindh police’s initial inquiry committee report that found Naqeebullah Mehsud as an innocent, who was killed in a police encounter.
The action was taken after an inquiry committee found Naqeebullah as innocent. Further action will be taken against Anwar after completion of the inquiry, according to police. Police officer Adeel Chandio has been given the charge of SSP Malir post. Provincial Home Minister Sohail Anwar Siyal has directed authorities to put the name of Anwar in Exit Control List (ECL).
Earlier, the committee said in its report that to ensure fair probe into the encounter, SSP Malir Rao Anwar and SP Investigation-II East Altaf Sarwar Malik may be transferred and placed under suspension. A report issued by IGP office said an inquiry was entrusted to a committee comprising Additional IGP CTD Dr Sanaullah Abbasi (Chairmen), DIGP East Zone Sultan Ali Khuwaja and DIGP South Zone Azad Khan, to ascertain the facts related to the reported encounter in the jurisdiction of PS Shah Latif Town, District Malir resulting in death of Naqeeb Mehsood.
The committee has submitted its initial enquiry report today. The committee is of unanimous opinion that in order to ensure fair and transparent enquiry of the incident and investigation of the case, SSP Malir Rao Anwar and SP Investigation-II East Malik Altaf Sarwar may be transferred and placed under suspension. The committee further recommended that SSP Malir Rao Anwar and the Police Party in the Reported encounter may be placed on the Exit Control List (ECL).
On such recommendations of the committee, following actions have been taken by the office of Inspector General Of Police, Sindh. SSP Malir Rao Anwar and SP Investigation-II Malik Altaf Sarwar have been transferred from their respective places of posting and directed to report to Central Police Office (CPO).
A letter has been written to the Chief Secretary, Government of Sindh with a request to place both above-named officers under suspension as recommended by the committee. A letter has been written to Ministry of Interior, Government of Pakistan for placement of the names of SSP Rao Anwar and the police party on Exit Control List (ECL) immediately as recommended by the committee. Additional IGP Karachi has been directed to take necessary action against the police party in accordance with rules in the light of recommendation of the committee.
Additional IGP Karachi has been directed to ensure that the incumbent SSP Malir and SP Investigation-II East shall finalize the investigation of the case strictly on merits in a professional manner. Probe is under progress and the inquiry committee has been directed to complete the inquiry after examining heirs of the deceased and the police party and submit its conclusive finding within five days.
On Friday, Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar took a suo motu notice of Naqeebullah’s killing in Karachi and summoned a report from the IGP Sindh within seven days.
SSP Anwar had claimed to have shot dead four alleged terrorists, including Mehsud, aged, 27, in a police encounter in Shah Latif town area of Karachi. The deceased’s
family claimed that Mehsud disappeared on January 3 from Sohrab Goth and was then killed in a fake encounter. Later, the inquiry committee was formed under the
chair of Counter Terrorism Department Additional IG Sanaullah Abbasi.
SSP Anwar appeared before a departmental inquiry committee on Friday and submitted the Mehsud’s criminal record. He said a kidnapping for ransom case against
Naqeebullah was registered in 2014. He also submitted details of the criminal record to committee.