Extrajudicial killing: Suspects identified in Sarfaraz Shah case

DIG to file charge sheet by June 17.

KARACHI:

Two witnesses to Safaraz Shah’s killing have identified the six Rangers and a civilian implicated in the killing.

Witnesses R and S recorded their statements under Section 164 Criminal Procedure Code before the court of judicial magistrate, south, Nadeem Badar Qazi, on Wednesday. They told the magistrate that they were at Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Park, Boat Basin, when they saw a man dragging the victim by his hair. They said the man kicked Shah as he handed him over to the Rangers. Both the witnesses told the court that they did not know whether Shah had committed any crime in the park earlier.

They heard the Rangers shout “goli maro, goli maro [shoot him, shoot him]” as the boy pleaded and apologised profusely. One of the Rangers, who the witnesses identified as Shahid Zafar, then fired two rounds.

The remaining accused were identified as sub-inspector Bahaur Rahman, lance naik Liaquat, mobile van driver Manthar Ali and sepoys Tariq and Muhammad Afzal.

The seventh accused was identified as Afsar Khan, a civilian with dubious credentials and unaccounted presence at the crime scene. He was also the complainant of the FIR lodged against deceased Shah. He had claimed that the deceased was trying to rob his friend, Alam Zaib and his wife. The couple has been in hiding since the day of the killing. A CID police officer said, however, that they have all the details on Zaib.

R and S stated that the victim struggled to his feet but fell over again, blood pouring from his wounds. At this point R bolted, with no intention of ever returning. S said that he saw the victim lying on the ground, crying out for help in vain.

The suspects were produced before the court and S said that he recognised all their faces. A dozen police vehicles escorted the armed vehicle in which they were brought to the court. They left the courtrooms amid shouts of “hang the killers!” as lawyers gathered outside brandishing their shoes at them.

DIG to file charge sheet in two days

The administrative judge of the Anti-Terrorism Courts for Karachi division, Justice Maqbool Baqar, extended on Wednesday the physical custody of the seven accused till June 17. The court will hold a day-to-day trial and a judgment will be given in seven days.



Published in The Express Tribune, June 16th, 2011.