Naqeebullah murder: Verdict on Pakistan cop's bail plea likely today

An anti-terrorism court in Karachi">Karachi, hearing the Naqeebullah Mehsud murder case, is likely to announce its verdict on Thursday on the bail plea of former senior superintendent of police (SSP) of Malir district in Pakistan, Rao Anwar.

The ATC resumed hearing of Anwar's bail plea on Wednesday. He is an accused in the extra-judicial killing of Naqeebullah Mehsud.

Anwar, along with 11 of his subordinates has been facing trial before the anti-terrorism court, reported Geo TV.

During Wednesday's hearing Anwar's counsel, Amir Mansoob Qureshi, argued that his client was not present at the crime scene.

Anwar maintained his innocence in Naqeebullah's murder, saying that the record was available that he neither caught him nor killed him.

"I have been framed in the wrong case," the report quoted Anwar, as saying.

Anwar and other officers are in the dock for killing at least four men, during what they claimed was a raid on a suspected Taliban hideout in Karachi">Karachi.

Relatives of Naqeebullah from South Waziristan tribal district rejected claims of him having militant links and maintained that he was an aspiring model who had been a resident of Karachi">Karachi since 2008.

They added that Naqeebullah was looking for a job and had been running a shop in the city.

His killing evoked a national outcry in Pakistan and triggered protest rallies in several cities.

--ANI