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An antiterrorism court in Karachi has acquitted seven policemen involved in the case surrounding the killing of Naqeebullah Mehsud and three others in a staged encounter in January 2018. The judge exonerated Amanullah Marwat, Shaikh Muhammad Shoaib, Gada Hussain, Sadaqat Ali, Mohsin Abbasi, Raja Shamim, and Rana Riaz Ahmed for lack of evidence after examining witnesses and hearing arguments from both sides.Prosecutor Anila Malik argued that the prosecution's case was strong with over 40 witnesses and supporting documents, while defense lawyer Farzana Mateen claimed there were contradictions in the testimony and no direct evidence linking the accused to the crime.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-27,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
In January 2018, seven policemen from Karachi were acquitted by an antiterrorism court (ATC-VI) for lack of evidence in a case involving the alleged staged killing of Naqeebullah Mehsud and three others. The accused included then SHOs Amanullah Marwat and Shaikh Muhammad Shoaib, ASI Gada Hussain, head constables Sadaqat Ali and Mohsin Abbasi, and constables Raja Shamim and Rana Riaz Ahmed. Prosecutors argued that over 40 witnesses, including key ones, had linked the accused to the murders, but contradictions in evidence and failure of star witnesses to identify the accused during testimony led to their acquittal. The court's decision followed a similar ruling for former Malir SSP Rao Anwar in 2023.
Written for “Naqeebullah Mehsud Murder Case Acquit…” on 2026-10-09,
grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.
After the acquittal of former Malir SSP Rao Anwar, an antiterrorism court on Saturday acquitted seven more policemen in a case over the killing of Naqeebullah Mehsud and three others in a staged encounter in January 2018.
asserted
court → acquit → January
The then SHOs of Shah Latif Town and Sachal police, Amanullah Marwat and Shaikh Muhammad Shoaib alias Shooter; assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Gada Hussain; head constables Sadaqat Ali and Mohsin Abbasi; and constables Raja Shamim and Rana Riaz Ahmed were facing trial for allegedly killing Naseemullah, better known as Naqeebullah Mehsud, Mohammad Sabir, Nazar Jan and Mohammad Ishaq in an alleged staged encounter in January 2018.
uncertain
SHOs → face → January
After examining the witnesses and hearing concluding arguments from both sides, the judge of ATC-VI exonerated the accused persons for lack of evidence.
asserted
judge → examine → evidence
Prosecutor Anila Malik argued that the prosecution examined over 40 witnesses, including star witnesses and they linked the accused persons with the commission of offences and documentary evidence also corroborated their testimonies.
asserted
evidence → argue → testimonies
Former SSP Rao Anwar was acquitted in the same case in 2023
She also contended that the prosecution established its case against all the accused persons beyond a shadow of reasonable doubt and pleaded for conviction.
asserted
prosecution → acquit → conviction
However, defence lawyer Farzana Mateen submitted that all accused persons facing trial were framed with mala fide intention and that out of 40, not a single witness directly implicated any of the accused in the case.
asserted
witness → submit → case
She also maintained that there were glaring contradictions in the evidence of prosecution witnesses while two star witnesses about the abduction of Hazrat Ali and Muhammad Qasim did not associate the present accused persons in their statements recorded under Section 164 CrPC by a judicial magistrate and had also not identified these accused persons as the culprits during their evidence before the trial court.
asserted
witnesses → maintain → court
The defence lawyer further argued that there was no allegation of abduction of the deceased against the accused persons and the prosecution has also failed to prove their participation in the alleged encounter.
asserted
prosecution → argue → encounter
She maintained that many accused persons, including a former senior superintendent of police, had already been exonerated by the trial court in the first round of litigation for want of evidence and she pleaded for acquittal of the present accused persons as well.
asserted
she → maintain → persons
Initially, the then SSP Malir Rao Anwar, along with his around two dozen subordinates, had been booked for allegedly murdering Naqeebullah and others in an alleged staged encounter in a Malir locality and dubbing them as militants.
uncertain
SSP → book → militants
According to the prosecution, Naqeebullah was picked up with his two friends allegedly by eight to nine subordinates of Rao Anwar in civvies.
uncertain
Naqeebullah → accord → civvies
Later, the other two detainees were set free while the whereabouts of Mehsud remained unknown and his mobile phone was also found powered off, as the former SSP allegedly kept him in wrongful detention.
It further stated that on Jan 17, the captive’s relatives came to know through the media that Rao Anwar and his associates allegedly killed Mehsud and three others in a staged encounter in a Shah Latif Town area on Jan 13 and dubbed them as Taliban militants.
uncertain
Anwar → set → militants
The provincial police officer had constituted a three-member inquiry committee that found Rao Anwar and his associates involved in the case, it added.
asserted
it → constitute → case
However, in January 2023, the trial court acquitted the former SSP and 17 members of his team by extending the benefit of doubt.
asserted
court → acquit → doubt
As the state had opted not to impugn the acquittal order, a brother of Naqeeb had filed an appeal before the Sindh High Court against their acquittal.
asserted
brother → opt → acquittal
The present accused persons were absconders during the first trial, and after the exoneration of SSP and others, they had surrendered before the court to face the trial, and all of them were set free on bail in April this year.
asserted
all → accuse → April
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