ISLAMABAD - The sudden disappearance and the surprise re-appearance of former SSP Sindh police Rao Anwar, wanted in connection with Naqeebullah Mehsud’s murder case, at the Supreme Court on Wednesday raised more questions than the development answered.

After dodging arrest for nearly two months, the mysterious appearance and surrender of high-profile absconder, former SSP Rao Anwar, has opened up a Pandora’s box of evolving opinions suggesting that some institutions possibly knew where he was hiding.

Rao Anwar was last seen at Islamabad airport trying to flee the country on a Dubai-bound flight on January 23 before he was stopped by the immigration officials.

The eye-witnesses to the former SSP’s appearance at the Supreme Court on Wednesday, argued Anwar was produced in the apex court in “unusual and intriguing” circumstances.

It was a routine day at court, that all of a sudden there was a security alert, and a white car swiftly entered the Supreme Court premises, an eyewitness told The Nation.

He said usually cars are not allowed to enter the Supreme Court premises other than those belonging to the VVIPs or court officials.

As the car stopped, Rao Anwar wearing a medical face mask and clad in a black suit, emerged from the back seat of the car. He removed his face mask and briskly walked inside the court premises, - escorted by police and Anti-Terrorism Force personnel, the eyewitness said.

Though the Islamabad police denied having any prior information about Rao Anwar’s arrival at the SC, the circumstances and the security deployment suggest that the local police high-ups were in knowledge of his arrival.

The SSP (Operations) Islamabad police Najeebur Rehman told The Nation that the accused surrendered directly before the Supreme Court and the local police were not in knowledge of the development.

He said the police just provided security to Rao Anwar after he arrived at the SC gates.

Some of those present at the Supreme Court building were of the view that the presence of Islamabad Inspector-General of Police Sultan Azam Temuri in the court was not by chance.

DIG Security and other high-ranking Islamabad police officials were also present at the SC building.

The IGP came because of the appearance of Rao Anwar and not for any other case, said a Supreme Court journalist, who wished not to be named.

According to sources, Rao Anwar surrendered to the police a day before the court appearance and the Islamabad police escorted him to the courtroom on Wednesday amid heavy security though he travelled in a private car.

There have been many dramatic turns, and bizarre situations in the case, since Rao was first accused of carrying out the extra-judicial murder of Naqeebullah Mehsud.

Many were taken aback, when Rao was accused of killing Naqeebullah Mehsud, a 27-year-old native of South Waziristan Agency, in a fake encounter in the Usman Khaskheli Goth in the outskirts of Karachi. This was because the former SSP was usually portrayed as an upright police officer.

This image changed when, according to a police report submitted to the Supreme Court, it was revealed that Rao had been accused of killing 444 people in 192 encounters between July 25, 2011 and January 19, 2018 in Karachi under his charge.

Later, it was also revealed that Rao’s team freed some of the people they had arrested along with Naqeeb after taking bribe.

Many failed to make sense of the situation as the former SSP apparently conveniently dodged not only the law enforcement agencies but the entire state machinery, who failed to find him despite several deadlines by the superior court.

Rao’s name was placed on the ECL, the Federal Investigation Agency’s Interpol wing issued blue notice but he remained at large.

After his unsuccessful attempt to flee the country on January 23, some feared that the former SSP had been sheltered by the forces for whom he had allegedly been killing people.

Many had believed that he was being allegedly protected by some elite law enforcement agency; others had pointed fingers at a property tycoon. Meanwhile, some others had also pointed fingers at the PPP elite.

Former president Asif Ali Zardari’s recent statement that Rao was a brave kid, who survived out of the 54 station house officers (SHOs) – and participated in anti-MQM operations in Karachi between 1994 and 1995, supported the impression that the PPP was protecting the former SSP.

Now, he was in the custody of law enforcement agencies who were investigating him, a source said.

He said that the IGP was in close contact with the fugitive.

Many believe Rao was one of the many police officers being used for clandestine operations.

The source rebutted that this was all nonsense that any agency was protecting its “asset”.

Another intriguing thing about the appearance of Rao in the Supreme Court was the timing. Why he was produced on Wednesday?

Was it due to the recent and precise deadline of the Supreme Court to the police and the law enforcement agencies or there was something else behind his appearance and surrender.

Many believe that he was produced after all options were exhausted to cool down the growing anger of Pashtuns towards the killing of Mehsud and others.

Last month, Aftab Mehsud, an outspoken young man who was vocal in protesting the killing of Naqeebullah Mehsud, was found shot dead under mysterious circumstances in a suburban area of Dera Ismail Khan.

The killing further fuelled the protests and a perception began to garner voices that the state was intentionally carrying out “genocide” of Pashtuns, especially in Karachi.

According to sources some foreign elements also exploited the situation, and provided funds to Pashtuns to carry out anti-state protests.

Rao was produced to end that perception, a source confided to The Nation.

According to sources, the accused, after court proceedings, was taken to the Secretariat Police Station amid high security.

He was entered in the Daily Diary (roznamcha) as a formality for shifting him to Karachi.

Usually, according to the police officials who spoke to The Nation on condition of anonymity, permission of a magistrate is necessary in transit cases but in this case, the SC verdict exempted him from appearing before a magistrate for the purpose.

Preparations were underway for Rao’s shifting to Karachi till filing of this report.

 

 

Mysterious appearance raises many questions