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Naqeebullah Mehsud wanted to build a future. He was a young man from South Waziristan with an interest in modelling, a family and responsibilities beyond himself.
On 13 January 2018, he was killed alongside three other men in Karachi in what police described as an encounter with militants. His death became the subject of a major controversy over police power and accountability. A government inquiry subsequently found that he had no links to militancy. Associated Press — Reporting on the case and its outcome, 23 January 2023
For the public, his name became associated with demands for justice. For his family, it belonged to someone they loved: a son, a husband and a father whose place at home could never be filled by a court file.
He deserved the opportunity to live, work and watch his children grow.
Naqeebullah, also known as Naseemullah, was widely reported to be 27 when he died. His father, Mohammed Khan Mehsud, described him as a kind and easygoing person.
Speaking to Geo News shortly after the killing, his father said Naqeebullah had a shop in Karachi and left behind two daughters and a son. Relatives described his involvement in a clothing business and rejected the allegations that he was engaged in unlawful activities. Geo News — His father remembers him, 20 January 2018
His interest in modelling gave the public a glimpse of the future he imagined. But his right to life did not depend on his appearance, ambition or potential success.
A person should not need a promising career or widely shared photographs for their death to deserve investigation. Every person is entitled to protection and a fair legal process.
Accounts of the days preceding the killing raised serious questions about whether Naqeebullah had already been in police custody.
Wikipedia’s source-linked account describes his alleged abduction with friends Hazrat Ali and Muhammad Qasim on 3 January 2018. It reproduces statements attributed to the friends, originally reported by Geo News, describing detention, blindfolding and beatings. Hazrat Ali said they heard Naqeebullah being tortured. The friends described being released while Naqeebullah remained behind. Wikipedia — Reported abduction and witness accounts
These are attributed accounts, not a substitute for findings about individual criminal responsibility. Their significance is nevertheless profound.
If a person has already been detained, the authorities must account for their custody and treatment. The questions begin before the shooting: who took the person, where they were held, whether the detention was recorded, and who was responsible for their safety.
For a family, those unanswered questions can become part of the loss itself.
Naqeebullah and three other men were killed at an abandoned poultry farm in Karachi’s Shah Latif Town area. Police claimed they had encountered terrorists. The subsequent police inquiry described the encounter as staged and rejected the allegation that Naqeebullah had a history of militancy. Wikipedia — Incident and inquiry, with linked contemporary reports
That distinction must remain visible: the original police allegation was challenged by the findings of an inquiry within the state’s own institutions.
It also matters that four men died. Public attention centred on Naqeebullah, but the other deaths deserve the same seriousness of investigation and remembrance.
An official account of a shooting should be tested against evidence. The people who died cannot respond to the allegations made against them. That makes independent scrutiny particularly important.
Naqeebullah’s father called for accountability and said action was necessary to protect others from a similar fate. His family was struggling to accept that he was gone while publicly rejecting the accusations against him. Geo News — Family response, 20 January 2018
There is a particular cruelty in having to defend a loved one’s name while mourning their death. Grief is already overwhelming. Having to challenge an official accusation adds another burden: explaining to strangers who that person was, asking that their life be examined fairly, and refusing to let a label become their final identity.
His children lost the possibility of growing up with their father present. His family’s private experiences should not be invented or exposed for dramatic effect. The known loss is enough.
A photograph can preserve a face. It cannot replace the person who should still be there.
Naqeebullah’s death helped galvanise Pashtun mobilisation, including protests associated with the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement. Demonstrators demanded justice and challenged extrajudicial killings. Wikipedia — Public mobilisation and linked reporting
The wider concern was whether ordinary people could trust that their lives and reputations would be protected when allegations came from powerful officials.
That question reaches beyond one community. Equal protection requires that ethnicity, language, place of origin and economic circumstances do not determine whose account is heard or whose death receives scrutiny.
Peaceful demands for answers are part of public accountability. They deserve a response grounded in evidence and a legal process that people can understand.
Rao Anwar and other accused personnel were indicted in March 2019. An indictment brings allegations before a court; it does not establish guilt. The News — Indictment in the case, 26 March 2019
On 2 December 2019, SAMAA reported that Naqeebullah’s father had died after battling cancer. He did not live to see the January 2023 verdict. SAMAA TV — Death of Naqeebullah’s father, 2 December 2019
A father had buried his son and sought accountability. He then died before the trial reached its outcome.
For families, the passage of time in a case is measured in more than hearing dates. It is measured in illness, expense, repeated journeys and the effort required to keep returning to a painful event.
A credible justice system should recognise those burdens while maintaining the standards necessary for a fair trial.
On 23 January 2023, a Karachi court acquitted Rao Anwar and 17 others. According to Associated Press, the prosecution had not provided sufficient evidence to prove the charges. Associated Press — Acquittal verdict, 23 January 2023
The acquittals are an essential part of this story. Rao Anwar and those acquitted must not be described as convicted perpetrators.
The inquiry’s conclusions about the encounter and the court’s determination of the accused individuals’ criminal responsibility address different questions. Reporting must explain both.
For accountability to succeed, allegations must be supported by reliable, admissible evidence. Public outrage cannot replace that work. Neither can an investigative announcement replace a properly presented prosecution.
Related proceedings involving other accused continued after the 2023 verdict. ARY News subsequently reported that an eyewitness had departed from an earlier statement and declined to identify accused persons. ARY News — Report on witness testimony
That development should not be confused with a reversal of the 2023 acquittals.
The sources reviewed for this article do not establish a later final outcome for every related proceeding. This account therefore records the confirmed acquittals and the subsequent reporting without claiming that all aspects of the case have concluded.
The case raises questions that any society committed to the rule of law should take seriously.
Whenever someone is taken into custody, there should be a clear record of who detained them, where they were held and what happened to them. Allegations of unrecorded detention and abuse demand credible investigation.
Every potentially unlawful death involving law enforcement deserves careful examination. Investigators must be able to test official accounts, preserve evidence and establish responsibility without institutional interference.
Witnesses must be able to speak safely and freely. Both intimidation and coerced testimony undermine justice. Reliable proceedings require that allegations of either are examined seriously.
Samaritan’s Fellowship believes that public office must never provide protection from lawful accountability. The same commitment requires fair treatment of accused persons and respect for court decisions.
Families should receive clear information, respectful treatment and support in navigating proceedings. They should not be expected to sustain public attention indefinitely to keep a case visible.
These concerns also appear in our reporting on CCD encounters and due process in Punjab and the Dr Shahnawaz Kunbhar case. Each case has its own evidence and legal history.
Samaritan’s Fellowship Foundation Pakistan documents human-rights cases to preserve memory, encourage informed discussion and strengthen public understanding of dignity and accountability.
We support policing that protects communities and earns their trust. That requires credible scrutiny when officers are accused of wrongdoing, along with a fair process for determining responsibility.
Our call is for:
These principles form part of our commitment to pluralism, peace and equal rights.
This article draws on public reporting. Samaritan’s Fellowship does not claim to have represented Naqeebullah’s family or participated in the investigation.
Naqeebullah’s story reminds us how much can be lost when a young person’s future is cut short. It also asks what communities and institutions can do to make dignity and protection meaningful in everyday life.
You can support this work by sharing the article with its references, exploring our human-rights stories, or contacting Samaritan’s Fellowship about awareness and collaboration.
Our broader work includes pathways towards sustainable livelihoods through StartFish and support for communities facing exploitation through Set Them Free.
To help sustain our mission, make a donation or contribute through Every.org. These contributions support Samaritan’s Fellowship’s broader programmes; this is not a direct fundraising appeal for Naqeebullah’s family.
Naqeebullah’s name belongs in the public record. So do the inquiry findings, the acquittals and the questions raised by the proceedings.
But remembering him also means seeing the person who existed before the case: someone with work to do, ambitions to pursue and children whose lives he should have been able to share.
His family should not have had to turn his name into a demand for accountability.
He deserved the chance to build the future he imagined.
Naqeebullah, also known as Naseemullah, was a young man from South Waziristan who lived in Karachi. He had an interest in modelling and was the father of three children.
He was killed on 13 January 2018 in Karachi, alongside three other men.
A police inquiry rejected the initial militant allegations against Naqeebullah and described the encounter as staged. Those investigative findings must be distinguished from the later trial outcome concerning individual accused persons.
No. Rao Anwar and 17 others were acquitted in January 2023 because the prosecution had not established the charges.
Later reporting described proceedings involving other accused. This article does not establish a final outcome for every related case or appeal.
To preserve the human significance of the case and promote informed discussion about police accountability, protection from abuse and equal treatment under the law.
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