Seven policemen acquitted in Naqeebullah Mehsud case

KARACHI: An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Karachi has acquitted seven remaining accused in the Naqeebullah Mehsud murder case, citing insufficient evidence.

The acquitted suspects include former SHO Amanullah Marwat, Shoaib Shooter, Guda Hussain, Sadaqat Hussain, Riaz Ahmed, Raja Shamim and Mohsin Abbas.

The prosecution told the court that the seven accused had remained absconders and surrendered after the court announced its verdict. Their acquittal brings the total number of people cleared in the case to 25.

Defence counsel argued that no witness had testified before the court that Naqeebullah’s killing was part of a staged encounter.

Former Malir SSP Rao Anwar and 18 other police personnel had already been acquitted in earlier proceedings. The latest decision means that all 25 suspects nominated in the case have been acquitted.

Naqeebullah Mehsud, a young man from Waziristan, was killed in Karachi in January 2018 along with three others. Police had initially described the incident as an encounter involving suspected militants.

The killing sparked widespread protests and raised serious questions about the conduct of the police team involved. A subsequent inquiry led by then Counter-Terrorism Department Additional Inspector General Sanaullah Abbasi concluded that the encounter was staged.

Following the inquiry, a case was registered against Rao Anwar and other members of his team. Several suspects went into hiding during the investigation.

An ATC formally indicted Rao Anwar and other accused in March 2019. The suspects denied the charges.

In January 2023, the court had acquitted Rao Anwar and other accused, ruling that the prosecution had failed to establish the charges against them. The latest acquittals conclude the proceedings against the remaining accused in the case.