KARACHI: The inquiry committee officials on Sunday accused SSP Rao Anwar of not cooperating with them, while the officer claimed that a conspiracy was being hatched against him.

Inquiry committee officials said Anwar has been called multiple times to produce evidence against Naseemullah and to prove his own innocence, but the SSP was not cooperating with the committee and has still failed to prove that Naseemullah was a terrorist.

SSP Anwar and his team are currently facing a departmental inquiry for conducting an alleged fake encounter in the Shah Latif Town area of Karachi on January 13, in which four men they claimed were militants were killed. One of the dead was Naseemullah.
According to witnesses and relatives, Naseemullah was abducted on January 3 from the Sohrab Goth area of the port city.

Sindh Inspector-General of Police Allah Dino Khawaja constituted a three-member inquiry committee headed by CTD Additional IG Sanaullah Abbasi after the family of the victim claimed that Naseemullah was killed in an extrajudicial killing.

On the other hand, Anwar alleged that a conspiracy was being hatched against him. “The inquiry committee formed against me is not transparent and all the members of the committee are against me,” claimed the SSP.

Anwar said that he made multiple attempts to reach out to the committee members but they were refusing to meet him. He said that the SHO and his police party conducted an encounter, but oddly the inquiry being conducted is against him. He added that he always owned any encounters in front of the media to protect his officers.

Meanwhile, a meeting has also been scheduled at the Central Police Office for Monday (today) where besides police officials, representatives of human rights will also hear the version of SSP Anwar.

On the other hand, it was reported that the former District Malir police chief is likely to be arrested, along with his team, over the ‘extrajudicial killing’ of Naseemullah, alias Naqeebullah Mehsud, who hailed from South Waziristan.

Besides SSP Anwar, Malir Investigations SP Malik Altaf Sarwar, Shah Latif SHO Amanullah Marwat and his team members, including ASI Gada Hussain, Head Constable Sadaqat Hussain Shah, Mohsin Abbas and constables Raja Shamim Mukhtar and Rana Riaz Ahmed, have already been suspended on the recommendations of the committee. The committee has also recommended putting SSP Anwar and SP Sarwar’s names on the ECL to ensure a fair and transparent inquiry.

During its investigations, the committee also visited the crime scene. Their visits have suggested that SSP Anwar’s claims were incorrect.

The committee also questioned the imprisoned militants who denied having any links with the deceased. The inquiry committee believes that Naseemullah who was wanted by the police was another guy.

Now, the inquiry team is waiting for the arrival of Naseemullah’s heirs from DI Khan to register a murder case against SSP Anwar and his team.

Police commandoes have also been provided to the family to address their security concerns, said a senior police officer privy to the matter. He added that the police can itself register a case if the family refuses to do it.

“Anwar and his team members are likely to be arrested tonight or the tomorrow,” warned an official.

Meanwhile, SHOs of at least 13 police stations of Malir have been removed from their posts by the Sindh Additional IG. They include Sohrab Goth SHO Shoaib Sheikh alias Shoaib Shooter, Malir City SHO Rana Haseeb, Malir Cantt SHO Rana Dilshad, Memon Goth SHO Gulzar Tunio and Steel Town SHO Ghulam Mujtaba.

Other officers on the radar

Interestingly, officers from the rank of constable to SP have also been posted in District Malir on SSP Anwar’s recommendations. The police higher-ups are also are also investigating whether they had any role in helping Anwar in conduct fake encounters, land grabbing and other illegal activities.

Two more SPs– Malir SP Dr Najeeb Ahmed, Gadap SP Iftikhar Lodhi- and about two dozen DSPs, SHOs and head muharars are also on the police’s radar and are likely to be suspended, transferred or arrested.

In-charge of Abbas Town police post Ali Akbar Mallah, who is believed to be the main officer behind the abduction of Naseemullah from a hotel, SI Khair Muhammad (SSP Anwar’s alleged ‘collector’), SI Din Muhammad Mallah and ASI Waqar, who allegedly deals with the illegal ‘reti-bajri’ (construction material) business are also on the radar of the police higher-ups.

The top cops are also looking for SSP Anwar’s ‘encounter specialists’ team. Those being looked for are al-Asif Square police post in-charge Ahsan Marwat, former Shah Latif SHO Amanullah Marwat, Gadap City SHO Khan Zaman, Tariq alias Shankar posted to SSP Malir office, former Site Super Highway SHO Anar Khan, Head Muharir SITE Super Highway Faisal alias Bali. It is believed that these police officers played a role in conducting in every second ‘fake encounter’ with the SSP.

Apart from the criminal activities, the police high ups are also investigating SSP Anwar’s involvement in money laundering and obtaining properties worth millions within the country or outside the country. It is expected that the SSP’s case may be moved to the National Accountability Bureau.

Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sohail Aman has said that the armed forces are fully committed to safeguarding the country, said Radio Pakistan.

Delivering a lecture on “Leadership, Education and Society Development” at Rawalpindi Medical University in Rawalpindi, the air chief said Pakistani nation and the armed forces fought the war against terrorists with supreme courage and determination.

He termed the indigenously produced JF-17 Thunder a symbol of national pride. The PAF would continue its journey of indigenization to further improve its defence capabilities, he added.

The PAF has been at the forefront in the war against terrorism.

Last year, Air Chief Marshal Sohail Aman had said that the Pakistan air force could shoot down any drone which violates the country’s airspace.

Pakistan now has female bike captains as a part of Careem’s women empowerment scheme. These women are Pakistan’s first female bike captains. Riffat Shehraz shines as one of the first few who have taken on this task in Lahore.

These women stand as symbols to the world that women are capable of doing anything they put their mind to.

In an exclusive interview with The Express Tribune, Riffat said that she is glad to have gotten a platform to bring out the best of her passion.
“I have been driving the bike since I was 12 years old and I was passionate about riding the bike,” she said.

Riffat believes that bike riding services aren’t restricted to gender or by gender. “If you are scared, the fear will lead you nowhere. Today, if you are going to be scared, then tomorrow you will not be able to do anything.” She believes that women are capable of achieving a lot more than they are given the opportunity to.

Amid rising tensions on security issues for women and children, Riffat says that she would have never made the effort of visiting places that she does now because of her passengers. She says that this experience also shaped her confidence greatly.

“I am also a female and I also want to take rides at the 11th hour but I know that I have to wake up early and start my day therefore at 10 pm, I take my last ride,” she said of her daily routine. She wakes up at 9 am to initiate her day.

However, Riffat doesn’t have to comply with a set number of rides, “I can take as many as I want to, sometimes I take them till 9 pm and sometimes it’s 10 pm but I don’t want to say no to anyone ever. I try my best to make my passengers happy.”

Riffat believes she is lucky as she didn’t have to face any major issue regarding her passengers. “Everyone respects me,” she said, adding that neither male nor female passengers caused her any hassle.

“I feel, if you respect men, then they respect you in return too, all my rides so far with the males have been very nice and ended on cordial terms,” she narrated.

“I have gone as far as Thokar Niaz Baig, a place I have never visited, so the commuting and distance is not an issue for me at all. It is sometimes from Wapda Town or Model Town that I go to faraway places,” she said.

Riffat is a source of pride with all that she has achieved. She also is a proud part of Careem as that is the platform that encouraged her to pursue this.

In November 2015, the company had announced that they will start hiring female captain drivers.

The Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar on Friday took notice of the alleged extrajudicial killing of Naqeebullah Mehsud during an encounter in Karachi and sought a report from IGP Sindh within seven days.

Earlier today, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rao Anwar appeared before a three-member committee in Karachi investigating the killing of four alleged terrorists killed during an ‘encounter’ by a police team in the port city, said Express News.

A high-level committee, headed by Additional IG CTD Sanaullah Abbasi and comprising DIG East Sultan Khawaja and DIG South Azad Khan, was formed on PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s orders to investigate Naqeebullah’s, a 27-year-old hailing from South Waziristan, killing who was reportedly shot dead in the same encounter.

On January 13, SSP Anwar had claimed to have gunned down four members of the defunct Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in an encounter near Shah Latif Town in Karachi. According to him, Naqeebullah had links with the banned TTP and was living in Karachi’s Sohrab Goth area using a fake name.

However, the family members of Naseemullah alias Naqeebullah claim that he was an aspiring model and was killed in a fake police encounter.

Meanwhile, Sindh Home Minister Sohail Anwar Siyal directed DIG Police South Zone, Karachi, to conduct an inquiry into the matter and submit findings within 15 days after the news of Naqeebullah’s killing spread on the social media and protests were staged in varying parts of the country accusing SSP Anwar of staging fake encounters for personal benefits.

SSP Anwar, also called the ‘encounter specialist’ by some, is known for conducting ‘encounters’ of controversial nature. In the past too, he has claimed to have killed several belonging to banned militant outfits and political party workers with alleged linked with Indian spy agency RAW.

Who was Naqeebullah Mehsud?

Talking to The Express Tribune earlier, Rehman Mehsud, a cousin of Naqeebullah described him as a handsome young lad with attractive features.

A father of three, Naqeebullah, used to religiously post his photos on social media, receiving likes and comments from friends and others, added Rehman.

KARACHI: At least one person was killed and six others were wounded when unidentified armed men hurled a hand grenade at a cloth market in Kharadar area of Karachi on Thursday.

Police and Rangers reached the site of the attack near Akhwan Masjid Kharadar and the victims were rushed to the Civil Hospital.

The injured were identified as Muhammad Ismail (39), Waqas (30), Abdul Sattar (65), Babu (35), Abdul Aziz (70) and Usama (25). The identity of the dead, almost 70 to 75 years of age, is yet to be ascertained, said police.

Police officials suspect the involvement of a Lyari gang behind the attack who hurled the grenade after the shopkeepers refused to pay extortion money.

Home Minister and IGP Sindh have taken notice of the incident and sought a report from District City SSP.

In April last year, at least six security officials, as well as civilians were injured in two separate grenade attacks along the Torkham crossing of the Pak-Afghan border.

In September of last year, at least seven people were wounded when motorcyclists hurled a hand grenade near the residence of Lyari kingpin Uzair Baloch.