ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Friday ordered the State Bank to freeze the bank accounts of on-the-run police officer Rao Anwar, who was declared in contempt of court for failing to appear at the hearing.
The suspended Senior Superintendent of Police is wanted over the extra-judicial killing of Naqeebullah Mehsud, a 27-year-old aspiring model. Mehsud was one of four men killed in an encounter with a police team headed by Anwar in Karachi last month. Anwar has claimed that Mehsud was a terrorist involved in several murders who had ties to Daesh.
A courtroom packed with journalists, lawyers, human rights activists and Mehsud’s relatives heard Allah Dino Khawaja, Inspector General of Sindh Police, tell judges that Anwar had failed to turn up despite promising to attend the court hearing.
Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar warned: “He has lost a great opportunity by not appearing in the court today, the court’s sympathy for him is over.”
Justice Nisar ordered Anwar’s bank accounts to be frozen and issued him with a contempt of court notice. He added that Anwar had absconded despite being promised legal assistance by the court.
Anwar’s protective bail was withdrawn by the three-member bench hearing the case, who hinted that a joint investigation team (JIT) could be set up to investigate the case.
Inter-Services Intelligence, Military Intelligence and the Intelligence Bureau were ordered to cooperate with police to track down Anwar and to report their progress at the next hearing.
When asked about progress made so far, Khawaja said Anwar had called him on Wednesday and promised he would attend court. He added that he did not know Anwar’s exact whereabouts.
“We will find him one day,” Justice Nisar said, “nobody can get away with his crimes.”
Counsel for Mehsud’s family, Faisal Siddiqui, told the court that at least 15 other police officials suspected of involvement in the case were still to be arrested.
Siddiqui added that witnesses did not feel safe in Karachi and wanted to move to other parts of the country. Justice Nisar directed top police officers of all four provinces to protect the witnesses.
Khawaja informed the court that nine out of the 21 accused in the case have been arrested by Sindh Police and all efforts are being made to catch Anwar too.
“Your efforts are not yielding results,” Justice Nisar said.
Talking to Arab News, Mehsud’s father Khan Mohammed said: “I want justice. I want to see Rao Anwar arrested and prosecuted. He has killed my son.”
“All government departments and police are cooperating with us,” he said, “we hope the killer will be arrested soon.”
The chief justice promised Mehsud’s family that efforts would be made to arrest Anwar as soon as possible.
A heavy police presence was deployed outside the court in a precautionary measure. The case was adjourned until March 3.
Pakistan’s top court freezes bank accounts of fugitive police officer
Pakistan’s top court freezes bank accounts of fugitive police officer
Four cops killed as separatist militants launch ‘coordinated’ attacks in Pakistan’s southwest — police
- The attacks began in Balochistan’s capital of Quetta at around 6am with a powerful explosion, followed by intense gunfire
QUETTA: Separatist militants, affiliated with the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), have launched “coordinated” attacks in several cities of Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province and killed at least four policemen, officials said early Saturday.
The attacks in the provincial capital of Quetta began at around 6am with a powerful explosion, followed by intense gunfire that lasted for two hours along with multiple explosions.
Residents of Dalbandin and Nuhski said they heard explosions and gunfire in the districts early Saturday morning, while there were reports of similar attacks in Mastung, Gwadar, Pasni and Turbat.
A senior police official, who requested anonymity, told Arab News that the militants attempted to enter the provincial capital of Quetta but police and other law enforcement agencies stopped them.
“The terrorists attacked a police mobile at Sariab road which resulted in the killing of two policemen,” he said. “Police and other law enforcement agencies denied space to the terrorists in Quetta city and a clearance operation is still going on.”
Balochistan, which borders Iran and Afghanistan, is the site of a decades-long insurgency waged by Baloch separatist groups who often attack security forces and foreigners, and kidnap government officials.
Shahid Rind, the Balochistan chief minister’s aide for media and political affairs, said police and paramilitary Frontier Corps (FC) had foiled the attacks and were chasing the assailants.
“After the killing of more than 70 terrorists at different places in Balochistan in the last two days, terrorists have attempted to attack at a few places in Balochistan, which have been foiled by timely action by the police and FC,” he said on X.
“At present, the pursuit of the fleeing terrorists is underway. More details will be revealed very soon.”
In a statement issued on Saturday, BLA said the group had launched ‘Operation Herof 2.0,’ which included a series of attacks in multiple cities of Balochistan.
Saturday’s attacks follow coordinated attacks carried out by the group in Aug. 2024 in various districts of Balochistan which killed dozens of people.
The separatists accuse the central government of stealing the region’s resources to fund development elsewhere in the country. The Pakistani government denies the allegations and says it is working for the uplift of local communities in Balochistan.
Pakistan Railways has suspended train service from Balochistan to other parts of the country for a day, following Saturday’s attacks.
“Quetta-Peshawar bound Jaffar Express, and Quetta-Chaman passenger trains have been canceled due to the prevailing security situation in Balochistan,” Muhammad Kashif, the railways controller in Quetta division, told Arab News.
At least four police officials in as many districts confirmed to AFP the situation was not completely under control yet.
“At least four policemen were killed in Quetta alone,” he added, speaking on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to the media.
A senior military official based in Islamabad confirmed the attacks, adding they were “coordinated but poorly executed.”
