Karachi — Margalla News: An anti-terrorism court has acquitted seven more policemen in the Naqeebullah Mehsud murder case, citing lack of evidence.
Those acquitted include Gada Hussain, Syed Sadaqat Hussain, Riaz Ahmed, Raja Shamim Mukhtar, Amanullah Marwat, Mohammad Shoaib alias Shooter and Mohsin Abbas.
According to the prosecution, 18 police officers and personnel, including former Malir SSP Rao Anwar, had already been acquitted in the case. With the latest verdict, the total number of accused acquitted in the case has risen to 25.
Court records show that the seven accused had previously been declared absconders and later surrendered after the 2023 verdict acquitting the other accused.
Naqeebullah Mehsud was killed in January 2018 in what police initially described as an encounter in Karachi. A subsequent inquiry found the encounter to be staged, leading to criminal proceedings against Rao Anwar and other police personnel.
In January 2023, an anti-terrorism court acquitted Rao Anwar and 17 others after ruling that the prosecution had failed to prove the charges.
In the latest ruling, the remaining seven accused were also acquitted for lack of evidence.