Rao Anwar blacklisted in US for human rights violations

The United States on Tuesday blacklisted former Malir senior superintendent of police (SSP) Rao Anwar for engaging in “serious human rights abuse” allegedly murdering over 400 people in “staged” police encounters.

On the occasion of International Human Rights Day on Tuesday, Anwar is among 18 individuals from six countries that the Trump administration has imposed banned for suspected human rights violations.

Two individuals have also been banned from entering the US, including former consul general of Saudi Arabia in Turkey for his alleged role in the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Other designated individuals are located in Burma, Libya, Slovakia, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and South Sudan and were sanctioned for their roles in serious human rights abuse. Additionally, six entities have been banned for being owned or controlled by one of the aforementioned individuals.

According to the statement issued by the US Treasury Department, “Anwar was reportedly responsible for staging numerous fake police encounters in which individuals were killed by police, and was involved in over 190 police encounters that resulted in the deaths of over 400 people, including the murder of Naqeebullah Mehsood”.

The statement further said, “Anwar assisted to lead a network of police and criminal thugs that were allegedly responsible for extortion, land grabbing, narcotics, and murder”.

The ban imposed by US will freeze assets of the 18 designated individuals and prohibit Americans from doing business with them.

“The United States will not tolerate torture, kidnapping, sexual violence, murder or brutality against innocent civilians,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement.