US blacklists Rao Anwar for serious human rights abuses

WASHINGTON: The United States on Tuesday blacklisted former Malir senior superintendent of police (SSP) Rao Anwar for engaging in serious human rights abuses.

The US Treasury Department said Anwar carried out alleged fake police encounters in which scores of individuals including Waziristan native Naqeebullah Mehsud were killed.

Anwar is among 18 individuals from six countries that the Trump administration has imposed economic sanctions on for suspected human rights violations.

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

“During his tenure as the Senior Superintendent of Police in District Malir, Pakistan, Rao Anwar Khan (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.

“Anwar helped to lead a network of police and criminal thugs that were allegedly responsible for extortion, land grabbing, narcotics, and murder. Anwar is designated for being responsible for or complicit in, or having directly or indirectly engaged in, serious human rights abuse,” the US Treasury said.

The announcement was made in connection with International Human Rights Day. The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has taken action against 18 individuals located in Burma, Pakistan, Libya, Slovakia, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and South Sudan for their roles in serious human rights abuse.

Additionally, six entities have been designated for being owned or controlled by one of the aforementioned individuals. The designated individuals and entities will be pursuant to the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act that targets perpetrators of serious human rights abuse and corruption.

“The United States will not tolerate torture, kidnapping, sexual violence, murder, or brutality against innocent civilians,” said Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin. “America is the world leader in combatting human rights abuse and we will hold perpetrators and enablers accountable wherever they operate.”

“Treasury’s action focuses on those who have killed, or ordered the killing of innocents who stood up for human rights including journalists, opposition members, and lawyers,” said Deputy Secretary Justin G Muzinich.