Rao Anwaar or Naqeebullah Mehsood - who will live to see the day?

 Police encounters do not make any news in Pakistan unless the deceased’s picture hits the social media, and his charming looks trigger social media public outcry. 

In the first place, there should be no police encounters at all; police should be trained enough to arrest the wanted people and bring them to the court of law after an apt, able and scientifically correct investigation. 

Nowadays, the death of Naqeebullah, a South Waziristan good-looking youth, is the talk of the social media, mainstream media and the bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The youth met his tragic end in a police encounter, which the social media calls a cold-blooded murder, by Senior Superintendent of Police Rao Anwaar, famous/notorious specialist for such encounters. Such encounters are reported in Punjab almost every day where petty criminals to hardened criminals are gunned down, by the friendly fire of their own accomplices in the dead of the night who later flee safely and the police officials exchanging fires also remain unhurt. Such Bollywood film is published every day without any action or reaction from any quarters.    

Now, it has been reported that Rao Anwaar has been suspended from the post and placed on the ECL. His suspension should not panic those who think that Rao Anwaar is a daring police officer who, like his predecessor Chaudhry Aslam, kills terrorists. Such suspensions are official routine matters. He has been suspended only to ensure the impartiality of investigations. It does not mean any suggestion of guilt or otherwise. He is still a working SSP and has not been sacked as the media is saying.

Once the Naqeebullah case is over, police encounter deaths would be a matter of the past too. That is so unfortunate. The better way forward is and should be the establishment of a permanent commission to look into every single death involving police, Rangers or army. Given the law and order situation of the country, one should not jump to the conclusion that every single encounter is fake. Similarly, every encounter cannot be genuine as well. But the social media’s verdict is out even before the inquiry team’s conclusion: Naqeebullah Mehsood is innocent and Rao Anwaar is the killer. No. 

Like every coin has two sides, this incident has also been generating conflicting accounts. Consider: Some say the 22-year-old aspiring model from South Waziristan moved to Karachi last year; some say he had been in Karachi since 2009. No one is saying this on the record. Only close relatives are being cited. Another conflicting point: Police in plain clothes picked him from his cloth shop about two weeks ago, and later killed him in a fake encounter. Why no one during this time approaches the court, media and social media.
Why did Rao Anwaar just pick a random young man and killed him? Did he have any personal animosity with him or any relatives of him?  Who are the other people killed in the encounter? Are they innocent too? If yes, why no one is raising voice for them? If they are terrorists, why Naqeebullah is being singled out?  Is there any record of him being a model? People have claimed that he used to regularly post on Facebook, whereas there is no any Facebook account of him. Amazingly, his parents and siblings are quiet. Some even said that such a handsome person with sweet smiles cannot be terrorist. That is one the most stupid arguments. One of the main characteristics of psychopaths is charming personality. Not saying his charming personality means he was a terrorist.

Before the facts are ascertained by police, please, hold your verdict. 

Friend Zulfiqar Ali raised very pertinent questions:

“Law enforcement agencies must be given protection along with reining in that not extrajudicial killings should happen. Otherwise they will not be able to do their job.
The practice of them being condemned lately started after Lal Masjid Terrorists were killed and terrorists lovers media and judges condemned police and army etc.
Then during dharna the culprits were given money to travel back .
In Kasur people became violent and attacked police station and other property .They endagered lives. Police fired . Two people died. Immediately four policemen were arrested. I am not saying they were innocent. By there must first have been inquiry and then they should have been charged.
Similarly Prof Hassan Zafar case was wrongly declared as kiddnapping and extrajudicial killing too. After his daughter gave statement still some so called human rights activists believe that her statement is under duress. How can they claim so ?
I am not saying police is not corrupt or does not do extrajudicial killing. We must analyze each case without prejudice of any other case.”