Will make efforts to get justice for victims of fake encounters: Siyal

Sindh Home Minister Sohail Anwar Siyal. Photo: File KARACHI: Sindh Home Minister Sohail Anwar Siyal on Saturday said that he will make his 'best efforts' to get justice for all victims of fake encounters and extrajudicial killings. Speaking on Geo News' programme Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath, the home minister said the Sindh Government has improved the security situation in the province as much as the 'law' and 'authority vested in it' has allowed. "Why just Rao Anwar's case?" he said, "I will pursue all cases [of extrajudicial killings.]" Responding to a question about the absconding police officer's recent statement to media that denied ownership of the house that the police had conducted a raid on, claiming to be the property of Anwar, Siyal said he will probe into the matter. "I will ask the police why someone else?s house was raided if it does not belong to Anwar and what was the information received by the police that led to the decision of the raid," he said, adding that such ill-informed raids are creating a bad image of the police department. The former SSP Malir is wanted by the authorities in connection to the extrajudicial murder of Naqeebullah Mehsud ? who along with four alleged terrorists ? was killed in an ?exchange of fire? with a police team led by Anwar on January 13 in Shah Latif Town, Karachi. Anwar has denied reports of a raid conducted on a house in Islamabad's F-10 vicinity earlier today. "The house raided in Islamabad's F-10 vicinity is not mine, none of my houses was raided," he had said in a statement. "The raid conducted [today] was on House-133, Street-43, Sector F-10, which is owned by Waqas Raffat son of Malik Raffat Hussain." However, investigation officials have claimed that the house raided today, as per the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) record, is owned by the suspended Malir SSP. Sindh writes to provinces seeking help for Anwar's arrest The Home Ministry of Sindh wrote late Saturday a letter to the administrations of all four provinces, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), and Kashmir in light of the pending arrest of suspended Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Malir Rao Anwar and his team. The home ministry's letter also mentioned the pending arrest of Zareen Dawar ? the person who, on social media, offered a bounty on Anwar's head. A team was also set up to arrest the fugitive police official and his accomplices, Geo News reported, with Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Saqib Nisar ordering Anwar to be taken into custody in three days. Sindh writes to provinces seeking help for Rao Anwar's arrest A team has also been set up to arrest Anwar and his accomplices in the Naqeebullah extrajudicial killing case In this regard, Siyal had said it was advisable for Anwar to appear in front of the inquiry committee, especially due to the fact that the investigation revealed the encounter he conducted was "fake". Anwar needs to state the truth, Siyal had noted, adding that upholding the law is obligatory for everyone. Earlier in the day, Sindh Inspector General of Police (IGP) AD Khawaja had urged Anwar to "face the court" and adopt a "legal course" of action rather than continue evading detention. Speaking to the media outside the Supreme Court on Saturday, Khawaja had weighed in over the "disappearance" of Anwar. ?I think that [Rao Anwar] should face the court and court a legal course. The court will listen to his legal arguments,? he had said. Naqeebullah murder case Mehsud, a 27-year-old native of Waziristan, was killed on January 13 by a police party led by Anwar. Following claims of innocence from Naqeebullah's family, an inquiry committee was formed, after which Anwar and the raiding police party officials went into hiding. An FIR was registered against Anwar and his associates, owing to their no-show and involvement in the case.