On Saturday, an anti-terrorism court acquitted seven individuals, including former SHO Amanullah Marwat and alleged police shooter Shoaib Shaikh, known as Shooter, in the murder case of Naqeebullah Mehsud. The court cited insufficient evidence against the accused.
Naqeebullah Mehsud, a 27-year-old shopkeeper from South Waziristan with aspirations in modeling, was killed in January 2018 alongside three others during what was described as an encounter. The other acquitted individuals were Gada Hussain, Sadaqat Hussain, Riyaz Ahmed, Raja Shamim, and Mohsin Abbas.
During the trial, defence lawyer Abid Zaman argued that none of the witnesses testified that the encounter in which Naqeebullah was killed was fabricated. The prosecution noted that 18 other police officers, including former SSP Malir Rao Anwar, had been acquitted earlier in the proceedings.
In a notable development, the seven accused had initially been declared absconders before surrendering to the court after its decision. Six of them, including Marwat, were granted post-arrest bail by the anti-terrorism court in April 2026, following permission to present additional evidence, which extended the trial. All seven were indicted in 2024, with Shaikh already out on bail at that time.
Naqeebullah’s killing occurred in Usman Khaskheli Goth on Karachi’s outskirts in January 2018, involving a police team led by Anwar. Anwar claimed Naqeebullah was linked to the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an assertion rejected by Naqeebullah’s family and denied by the TTP’s South Waziristan chapter. The incident sparked widespread protests and allegations of a staged encounter.
A three-member inquiry team, headed by then Additional Inspector General of the Counter-Terrorism Department Dr. Sanaullah Abbasi, concluded that Naqeebullah was not involved in terrorism and was killed in a fake encounter. Abbasi assured Naqeebullah’s family, friends, and tribal elders that those responsible would face justice.
Following the inquiry, an FIR was registered against Anwar and other officers based on a complaint by Naqeebullah’s father, who claimed his son was taken into custody before being killed. Anwar was removed from his position as SSP Malir and investigated. The Supreme Court ordered his name be placed on the Exit Control List after reports surfaced that he attempted to leave the country.
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