US blacklists Pak cop for graft, serious human rights abuse

Former SSP Malir Anwar known as an encounter specialist is among 18 individuals from six countries that the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control imposed economic sanctions on for their alleged engagement in human rights violations.

Washington: The United States has blacklisted former Karachi police officer Rao Anwar for serious human rights abuses during his term as Senior Superintendent Police for allegedly killing dozens of innocent people including Waziristan native Naqeebullah Mehsud in staged police encounters.

Former SSP Malir Anwar known as an encounter specialist is among 18 individuals from six countries that the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed economic sanctions on for their alleged engagement in human rights violations.

Tuesday's announcement was made in connection with International Human Rights Day.

Anwar was accused of staging scores of fake police encounters in which several individuals were killed in Karachi.

"The former cop was involved in over 190 police encounters that resulted in the deaths of over 400 people including the murder of Naqeebullah Mehsood," according to the US Treasury Department.

Mehsood, a young man from the Waziristan region, was killed on January 13, 2018, in Karachi during a fake encounter allegedly staged by Rao. A police inquiry later established the encounter was staged. The extrajudicial killing sparked nationwide outraged with a Pashtoon rights group later using it as a rallying call.

The department further added that Anwar had helped to lead a network of police and criminal thugs that were allegedly responsible for extortion, land grabbing, narcotics, and murder.

He has been designated for being responsible for or complicit in, or having directly or indirectly engaged in, serious human rights abuse, the department said.

Rao, Karachi's most controversial cop, officially retired from service last year.

"America is the world leader in combatting human rights abuse and it will not tolerate torture, kidnapping, sexual violence, murder or brutality against innocent civilians," Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin said.

The South Asian Bureau of the US State Department said in a tweet, "Under the Global Magnitsky program, @USTreasury sanctioned Rao Anwar Khan for serious human rights abuse in #Pakistan, incl. alleged involvement in hundreds of extra-judicial killings. The US will continue to pursue significant consequences for those who disregard #HumanRights."

The US-based advocacy group, the Voice of Karachi has welcomed the US Treasury Department's decision to blacklist Pakistan's encounter specialist Rao Anwar for his involvement in human rights abuses and has termed the decision a historic step in safeguarding human rights globally.

"On behalf of the entire team of Voice of Karachi as well as around 40 million residents of urban Sindh, I welcome the US Treasury Department's announcement about the callous butcher Rao Anwar and other individuals involved in abusing human rights globally," VOK chairman Nadeem Nusrat said.