KARACHI: The father of Naqeebullah Mehsud, killed allegedly by SSP Malir Rao Anwar in a fake encounter, approached the National Accou­nt­ability Bureau (NAB) on Monday, seeking a probe into luxurious lifestyle, assets worth billions of rupees and 74 trips to Dubai of the accused officer during the past few years.

According to the complaint filed by Mohammad Khan through Barrister Faisal Siddiqui at the office of the Sindh NAB directorate, the lifestyle of the accused, assets and cost of the trips do not match his official sources of income. He has asked the anti-graft watchdog to launch an inquiry into his acquisition of assets beyond his means of income.

“It is incomprehensible for an officer with a maximum salary of Rs113,772 to be able to afford as many trips. It is clear that the trips have been financed through assets acquired beyond his means and in order to launder money,” said the complaint, addressing the NAB chairman.

He said his pecuniary resources disproportionate to the known sources of income was an offence under Section 9(v) of NAB Ordin­ance 1999 and money laundering was an offence under Section 3 of Anti-Money Laundering Act 2010, which demanded an inquiry against Rao Anwar.

Mr Khan, along with social activist and lawyer Jibran Nasir, also addressed a press conference at the Karachi Press Club, expressing concern over the slow pace of prosecution in Naqeebullah murder case.

They cited that the investigation officer did not appear in the previous hearing, giving a reason that he was busy on Ramazan security duty and demanded the Sindh IG and Karachi police chief to appoint any other officer.

“These are shameful delaying tactics,” said Mr Nasir. “Above all without any official procedure, Rao Anwar’s house was turned into a sub jail by the Sindh government and a notification was issued in back date to facilitate his stay at home. If Rao Anwar was not safe in the Central Jail, how the other 11 arrested accused in that case were safe in the same facility,” he said, adding that if the jail was not safe, what about the Rangers detention centres where high-profile terrorists were deemed safe. The issue was not about Rao’s safety; it was about his luxury, he said.

Published in Dawn, May 29th, 2018