KARACHI – An additional sessions judge in Karachi issued non-bailable arrest warrants against Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Malir Rao Anwar on Tuesday.
The warrants were issued after Anwar, who is a prosecution witness in cases that were lodged in 1992 against Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) founding member Saleem Shahzad failed to show up for the case hearing.
The absence of police officials prompted the court to issue directives to Karachi East Deputy Inspector General Sultan Ali Khowaja to arrest him.
Multiple cases were registered against Shahzad at various police stations in 1992 and he was declared a proclaimed offender in the cases registered at Malir and Landhi police stations pertaining to kidnapping, wrongful confinement, criminal intimidation and rioting.
The politician was also nominated in two cases pertaining to an attack on the house of Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi (MQM-H) chairman Afaq Ahmed’s brother and the murder of MQM-H worker Shoaibullah in Landhi.
At that time, Anwar was posted as the station house officer (SHO) at Gulshan-i-Iqbal police station and had arrested a suspect who confessed to committing murder and rioting across Karachi on Shahzad’s orders, making him a prosecution witness in the case, however he did not show up in the courtroom.
Regarding his absence, the police officer said he had a meeting with Sindh Home Minister Sohail Anwar Siyal due to which he ‘forgot’ to attend the hearing, Dawn News reported.
The SSP added that he would attend the hearing on November 25 to record his statement as a prosecution witness.
