Naqeebullah, originally named Naseemullah, was born in 1992 in the Makin Tehsil of South Waziristan, belonging to the Abdullai Mahsud tribe of Pashtuns. His family was compelled to leave their home in 2009 due to Operation Rah-e-Nijat conducted by the Pakistan Armed Forces against militants in South Waziristan. Relocating to Karachi, Naqeebullah found work as a laborer while nurturing his passion for modeling. He harbored aspirations of becoming a model himself. Among his three brothers, one had established himself in Dubai, UAE. Naqeebullah’s entrepreneurial spirit led him to envision starting a garment business, for which he had recently rented a shop in Sohrab Goth, Karachi. Tragically, before he could realize his dreams, he was abducted and murdered.
Abduction and Torture of Naqeebullah Mehsud
On the evening of 3 January 2018, Naqeebullah Mehsud, accompanied by his friends Hazrat Ali and Muhammad Qasim, whom he had befriended through Facebook, ventured out in Sohrab Goth. However, their evening took a terrifying turn when they were abducted by individuals dressed in plainclothes.
Hazrat Ali recounted the harrowing experience, stating, “We were taken to Sachal police station initially. After waiting for 50 minutes, our eyes were blindfolded, and we were transported to an undisclosed location.”
He continued, describing the ordeal, “We could hear Naqeebullah being taken first and subjected to torture. His screams echoed in the room. Subsequently, the assailants turned their attention towards us, beating us mercilessly. I was even forced to ingest naswar, causing me to vomit uncontrollably.”
Muhammad Qasim corroborated the events, revealing that the perpetrators scrutinized Naqeebullah’s messages on their phones and interrogated them about him. “After a period of interrogation, we were released, but Naqeebullah was nowhere to be found. The police issued threats, warning us not to disclose the incident to anyone,” Qasim added, underscoring the intimidation tactics employed by the authorities.
False Accusations and Greed-Fueled Abduction
Rao Anwar, a prominent figure in the police force, levied serious allegations against Naqeebullah, branding him as a terrorist. However, an inquiry conducted by a committee comprising senior police officers found Anwar’s claims to be unsubstantiated.
Further revelations shed light on the ulterior motives behind Naqeebullah’s abduction. A mid-level police officer from the Malir police station, who had previously served under Rao Anwar, disclosed that financial gain was the driving force behind Naqeebullah’s ordeal.
According to the officer, individuals associated with Anwar among the shopkeepers of Sohrab Goth became aware of Naqeebullah’s possession of a significant sum of money, earmarked for the purchase of a shop. Acting upon this information, two policemen, namely SI Yaseen Dhukku and ASI Akbar Mallah, apprehended Naqeebullah and his companions from a restaurant on Abul Hassan Ispahani road.
Although Naqeebullah’s friends were released, he endured prolonged torture at the hands of the officers. Even after extracting Rs9 million from him, they persisted in their extortion efforts, demanding an additional Rs20 million. Naqeebullah’s condition deteriorated drastically under their brutal treatment, leading the officers to decide against releasing him, fearing potential repercussions.
Rao Anwar's Allegations and the Malir Cantonment Incident
On 16 January 2018, amidst mounting scrutiny over his involvement in the killing of Naqeebullah Mehsud, Rao Anwar, a controversial figure in law enforcement, claimed to have been targeted in Karachi’s Malir Cantonment area while en route to his residence.
Anwar asserted that his convoy had come under attack, purportedly by a suicide bomber, as they traveled through the area. Despite the alleged detonation of explosives near his vehicle, Anwar and his team emerged unscathed. He further claimed that two individuals, suspected accomplices of the attacker, engaged the police in a firefight and were subsequently neutralized.
According to Anwar’s narrative, amid the chaos of the encounter, several militants managed to evade capture, exploiting the confusion generated by the exchange of gunfire between law enforcement personnel and Pakistan Rangers engaged in a search operation.
Subsequent investigations identified the alleged suicide attacker as Gul Saeed Afridi, a 34-year-old driver hailing from Orangi Town, Karachi. Afridi had been reported missing several months prior to the incident, adding a layer of intrigue to the unfolding events surrounding Anwar and his entanglement in the controversy surrounding Naqeebullah’s death.
Controversy Surrounding Gul Saeed's Death
Following the alleged suicide attack in the Malir Cantonment area involving Rao Anwar, the circumstances surrounding Gul Saeed’s death added fuel to the already raging controversy.
Contrary to initial claims of Gul Saeed being a suicide bomber, his body was discovered severely burned but largely intact, despite purportedly falling a considerable distance from Anwar’s armored vehicle. The family of Gul Saeed expressed outrage over the demands made by the police following his killing, prompting them to forcefully retrieve his body from law enforcement custody. Subsequent negotiations led to the return of Gul Saeed’s remains to the mortuary.
The bodies of the three deceased, including Gul Saeed, were placed at the Chhipa Welfare Association morgue in Karachi. While Gul Saeed’s body showed signs of burns, the other two bodies remained unidentified and bore multiple bullet wounds.
In a swift response, the Pakistani Taliban (Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP) claimed responsibility for the alleged suicide attack. However, Gul Saeed’s family vehemently disputed these assertions, maintaining his innocence and denying any links to terrorist activities.
Questioning the plausibility of a suicide attack in a highly secured area like the cantonment, surrounded by military presence, Gul Saeed’s family accused Rao Anwar of orchestrating his extrajudicial killing. Their assertions added another layer of complexity to the ongoing investigation, casting doubt on the official narrative propagated by Anwar and the authorities.
Doubts Raised on Suicide Attack Claim
The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) investigated the incident and doubted the authenticity of Rao Anwar’s account of a suicide attack. Senior CTD officer Omar Khattab highlighted inconsistencies, suggesting the incident might have been a staged encounter. Contrary to Anwar’s claims, investigators found no evidence of explosives at the scene. Instead, they concluded that Gul Saeed, the alleged attacker, was shot by police before a suicide vest was placed on him and set on fire, raising suspicions of an extrajudicial killing.
Inquiry Committee Findings Expose Fabricated Encounters
The inquiry committee, comprising senior police officers probing Naqeebullah Mehsud’s case, found no evidence of gunfire from within the abandoned poultry farm, debunking claims of a shootout. Marks of firing discovered on the farm’s walls were deemed post-incident fabrications.
Further investigation into Rao Anwar’s tenure revealed his involvement in 444 killings across 192 alleged encounters between 2011 and 2018. Of the 745 total encounters he led, not a single police officer was killed or injured, casting doubt on the legitimacy of these operations. Anwar oversaw eight fatalities in two encounters within the first 19 days of January 2018 alone.
Allegations Against Rao Anwar and Committee Recommendations
Karachi’s senior police officers, speaking anonymously, revealed that the majority of those killed in Rao Anwar’s encounters were ethnic Pashtuns. They disclosed that individuals were brought from distant areas like the Federally Administered Tribal Areas for Anwar’s handling. Another senior police officer described Anwar’s team as “killing machines” and cited his connections with influential figures like Asif Zardari and elements within the security establishment as reasons for the lack of oversight.
In response to Anwar’s unfounded allegations against Naqeebullah, the inquiry committee recommended adding Anwar’s name to the Exit Control List. They dismissed Anwar’s claims, affirming Naqeebullah’s innocence and stating that he had no history of militancy or criminal activity.
The committee concluded that Naqeebullah and three others were killed in a fake police encounter orchestrated by Rao Anwar’s team. The bodies were then disposed of in a single room after being killed separately. On 20 January 2018, Rao Anwar was relieved of his duties as senior superintendent of police (SSP) Malir based on the committee’s recommendation.
Attempted Escape and Legal Proceedings
On 23 January 2018, Rao Anwar made an attempt to flee the country on a Dubai-bound flight from Benazir Bhutto International Airport, Islamabad. However, his plans were thwarted by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), which apprehended him at the immigration counter upon discovering that his No Objection Certificate was forged.
Following these events, on 24 January 2019, a Pakistani anti-terrorism court declared Naqeebullah and the three others murdered with him as innocent. Subsequently, 13 police officials were imprisoned while on remand from the court, but 7 suspects, including Rao Anwar, were granted bail.
Anwar’s trial commenced in 2020, and after a legal process lasting several years, he was ultimately acquitted by the courts in January 2023.
PTM Campaign for Justice
Following Naqeebullah Mehsud’s murder, the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), led by Manzoor Pashteen, spearheaded a vigorous campaign to demand justice. PTM organized a series of protest marches and sit-ins across various cities, advocating for accountability in Naqeebullah’s case.
Public gatherings convened by PTM took place in key cities such as Islamabad, Quetta, Peshawar, Lahore, Swat, Karachi, Dera Ismail Khan, Swabi, Bannu, Tank, and others. Central to their demands was the punishment of Rao Anwar and his team for their alleged involvement in Naqeebullah’s murder.
On 23 March 2018, PTM leader Arif Wazir led a protest rally from Wanna to Naqeebullah’s home in Makeen, South Waziristan. However, on 24 March, Wazir and three other PTM activists were detained by authorities under the Frontier Crimes Regulation for organizing the rally.
In response to the arrests, PTM supporters staged protests in front of press clubs across numerous cities, including Peshawar, Quetta, Swat, Swabi, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Zhob, Loralai, Killa Saifullah, Ziarat, and others. These demonstrations underscored the widespread demand for justice and accountability within Pakistan’s Pashtun community.