ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed a review petition of former Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Malir, Karachi, Rao Anwar seeking removal of his name from the Exit Control List (ECL).

A three-member bench headed by Justice Ijazul Ahsan directed Rao Anwar to approach a relevant forum for removal of his name from the no-fly list. The court directed Rao Anwar to file a new application if he wanted to get relief from the courts. Anwar’s lawyer apprised the court that trial against his client was underway in a trial court in Karachi, where his client was appearing regularly.

Justice Ijazul Ahsan noted that Anwar was placed on the no-fly list till further orders on the court direction. He said it was not a bail application that could be entertained by the apex court. On January 13, 2018, one Naqeebullah Mehsud was killed in Karachi during a fake police encounter carried out by a team headed by then Malir SSP Rao Anwar.

The fake encounter had sparked countrywide protests against the extrajudicial killing of Naqeebullah Mehsud. Rao Anwar is facing various criminal cases before different courts for his alleged involvement in at least 444 extrajudicial killings.