Naqeebullah murder case: Rao Anwar’s acquittal challenged in SHC

• Rao Anwar’s acquittal have been challenged in Sindh High Court
• Naqeebullah Mehsud’s brother filed the appeal
• ATC has acquitted Rao Anwar and seven others in the case

KARACHI: An appeal has been filed in the Sindh High Court (SHC) against the acquittal of former senior superintendent of police (SSP) Malir Rao Anwar and other accused in the Naqeebullah Mehsud murder case.

Sher Alam, brother of Naqeebullah, has filed an appeal in high court through his counsel Advocate Jibran Nasir. The petitioner said the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) had acquitted Rao Anwar and others despite strong evidence against them. The petitioner urged the SHC that the ATC ruling on January 23, 2023 should be declared null and void.

A special anti-terrorism court (ATC) has acquitted 18 suspects, including former Malir SSP Rao Anwar and DSP Qamar Ahmed in the high-profile Naqeebullah murder case.

The court said the prosecution failed to prove the offence, leading to the acquittal of 18 accused including Rao Anwar and DSP Ahmed. The court declared that the evidence against the accused was insufficient.

It said the prosecution failed to prove the case registered by the police as two witnesses, Hazrat Ali and Qasim, could not prove being present with Naqeebullah when he was murdered.

According to prosecutors, the murder was a police encounter in which four people, including Naqeebullah, were killed. However, no concrete evidence could be produced against those implicated in the case.

The court said in its verdict that the police encounter in which Naqeebullah and others were killed was fake and termed the murder as brutal.

The court had reserved its decision on January 14 after the arguments of the parties were completed. The statements of 51 witnesses were recorded in the trial held at Karachi Central Jail. The verdict was delivered after five years.

On January 18, 2018, the then chief justice, Saqib Nisar, took a suo motu notice over the alleged police encounter in the Shah Latif Town area of Karachi.

The family members of the deceased Naqeebullah Mehsud staged strong protests in Karachi and Islamabad. Naqeebu’s father, who filed the case, has since passed away.

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