ATC rejects bail applications of three police constables in Naqeebullah murder case

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Monday rejected the bail applications of three accused policemen in the Naqeebullah Mehsud murder case. Constables Ali Akbar, Raees Abbas Zaidi and Syed Imran Kazmi had sought bail from the court, claiming that they were innocent and falsely implicated in the case.The ATC-III judge heard the arguments from both sides on the application and had reserved his order on the matter in a previous hearing. The order read that prima facie sufficient incriminating evidence was available against the accused so they could not be released on bail.According to the prosecution, 27-year-old Naseemullah Mehsud, alias Naqeebullah, was killed along with three others — Sabir, Nazar Jan and Ishaq — in a fake encounter in Shah Latif Town on January 13, 2018.Twenty-five policemen have been charged for Naqeebullah’s murder. Of them five — former SP Anwar Ahmed Khan (alias Rao Anwar), Qamar Ahmed Shaikh, Muhammad Yaseen, Supurd Hussain and Khizar Hayat — are out on bail.Thirteen others — Allah Yar Kaka, Muhammad Iqbal, Arshad Ali, Ghulam Nazuk, Abdul Ali, Shafiq Ahmed, Shakeel, Muhammad Anar, Khair Muhammad, Faisal Mehmood, Akbar, Zaidi and Kazmi — are in custody.The remaining seven — Amanullah Marwat, Shaikh Muhammad Shoaib, Gada Hussain, Mohsin Abbas, Sadaqat Hussain Shah, Rana Shamim and Riaz — are absconding. The case against the absconding suspects was put on dormant status until their arrest or surrender before the court.Meanwhile, the court deferred the recording of statements of eyewitnesses in the case until August 29, since one of the defence lawyers was not present for the hearing. The witnesses, however, were available.The accused were indicted in two FIRs — No. 40/2018 registered at the Sachal police station on the complaint of Naqeebullah’s father Khan Muhammad and No. 142/2018 registered at the Shah Latif Town police station on the complaint of the state. Both the FIRs have the same set of accused.FIR No. 40/2018 pertains to the kidnapping of Naqeebullah for ransom, his unlawful detention and murder in a fake encounter. FIR No. 142/2018 is about foisting bogus cases on the deceased about recoveries of arms and ammunition from him.Naqeebullah and his friends Hazrat Ali and Qasim were picked up by the police on January 4 last year from a teashop named Sher Agha Hotel on Abul Hassan Ispahani Road. They were kept in illegal confinement and severely tortured. Ali and Qasim were released two days later, while Naqeeb was killed in a fake police encounter.

from The News International - Karachi https://ift.tt/2NjdbfN