The brothers of 22-year-old Ghulam Haider, who was shot dead on Tuesday allegedly by Rangers personnel, mourn his death outside Jinnah hospital’s mortuary. PHOTO: ATHAR KHAN/EXPRESS
KARACHI:
Less than a week after the family of Sarfraz Shah - who was killed on June 8, 2011 by a Rangers personnel - pardoned the extrajudicial killing, 22-year-old Ghulam Haider was shot dead by the Rangers on Tuesday for reportedly not stopping his car.
According to eyewitnesses of the killing, which took place in Shah Faisal Colony, the Rangers personnel signaled the driver [Haider] to stop the car. “When the car did not stop, the law enforcers opened fire on him, killing him at the spot. The car then lost control and collided with a motorcycle,” said one witness. “Later, the Rangers claimed that he was a criminal who was trying to escape.”
Haider was accompanied by his cousin, Asif. “I am a dialysis patient. Haider was taking me to a private hospital in Korangi for dialysis,” Asif told The Express Tribune. “As we were in a hurry, we did not notice the signal by the Rangers to stop the car.”
The Rangers’ officials took the body to the Shah Faisal police station where protesters, including family members, gathered and shouted slogans against the law enforcers. As they tried to attack the police station, an extra contingent of law enforcers was called at the site who used batons and tear gas shells to disperse the protesters.
The victim’s body was later taken to Jinnah hospital for autopsy. “He was shot once. The sophisticated weapon’s bullet hit his head from the back and went through from the eye,” medico-legal officer, Dr Manzur Memon, told The Express Tribune. “It appears that he died on the spot due to a head injury.”
Unclear details
According to the victim’s family, Haider had gotten married around 25 days ago and was a resident of Shah Faisal Colony. He was the eldest among six siblings. “We don’t only want to register an FIR against those responsible but we want to make sure they are awarded the most severe punishment possible,” said Haider’s father, Ghulam Mustafa.
“We won’t favour anyone, even the Rangers,” said District East Police Chief DIG Tahir Naveed, after issuing instructions to register the FIR against the Rangers’ personnel. “We have told the family that they can register the FIR against whoever they want. After that, we will proceed with the investigation.” The FIR was in process of being registered till the filing of this report.
SHO Tahir Ayub confirmed that the victim was killed by the Rangers. “The deceased had no prior criminal record and no weapons were found in his possession.” Questions have been raised, especially after the extrajudicial killing of Sarfraz Shah which was caught on camera, over the presence of the Rangers’ personnel in Karachi and the leeway they’ve been given to control the law and order situation. The Rangers’ spokesperson was not available for comments.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 5th, 2013.
COMMENTS (6)
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I just read another a news on the Internet that reported.......
However, a spokesman for the rangers denied that the car had been stopped or that there had been any shooting.
I wonder if the victims family will keep his wife with them in their home regardless of the circumstances of his demise.
Rangers supposed to be a lives saver NOT LIVES taker. We are not save in their hand, their brutality shows they do not want to protect us, they need our money, our land and our blood.
Another Sarfarz Shah case in the making?
@waseem sarwar: No law enforcer is suppose to fire unless fired upon! If they thought that he was a suspect trying to escape, they should have chased him not fire at him!
They should have fired at car's engine or tires. It just doesn't feel right so shoot someone in the head for not stopping his vehicle.