Sarfaraz Shah killing: When the going gets tough

ISLAMABAD:

The charged-up protesters had gathered at the city’s oldest commercial centre to demand accountability from law enforcement agencies. Under the scorching summer sun, students and civil society members seemed visibly enraged and were raising slogans against extra-judicial killings in their homeland.

On Wednesday, Sarfaraz Shah, a 22-year-old man from Karachi, was shot dead by six Rangers personnel in front of Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Park after he was accused of mugging. The gathering at Aabpara Market on Saturday was willing to settle for nothing less than strict punishment for the officials involved.

The demonstration organised by National Students Federation (NSF) began from the plaza which was once Café de Kamran, with 30-odd protesters led by Alia Amirali, a member of the federation.

Amid chants against ‘military-rule’ and oppressive dictators, the gathering took a round of the first two blocks of Aabpara Market, merely a few hundred meters away from the well-known Lal Masjid, where a military operation in 2007 had brought the capital to a standstill.

Shah’s brutal killing came to the fore when a cameraman from a Sindhi channel managed to capture the episode. The video has been doing rounds of news channels ever since and the sight of a young man pleading for his life from law enforcers of the country has kicked up a storm of controversy and rage.

The protesters demanded justice and accountability in all such incidents and sought answers from security agencies. They stated that “people of this country needed freedom from the oppressive policies of the army”.

Ironically, in the backdrop of the protest, a banner hung between two trees in front of the Aabpara intersection read, “Anyone who is against the army and the ISI is a traitor.” It had been put up by Qaumi Taajir Ittehad (National Traders Alliance).

A prominent member of Workers Party Pakistan and renowned social activist, Aasim Sajjad Akhtar, while addressing the rally, pointed towards the banner and said, “This means Sarfaraz was a traitor. He must definitely be against those who killed him mercilessly.”

As the emotions ran high, he added, “If questioning such brutal killings and demanding safety of my people is being disloyal to my country, then I am a traitor.”

Akhtar said that the “establishment” had labelled the civil society activists, like him, as agents. “But I ask you, who gets the dollars and who gets the aid, us or them?”

The event turned into a passionate remonstration against the “invariable command of the security agencies over the country’s policies”. The killing in Karachi, in the eyes of these protesters, was among many other incidents taking place in Balochistan and other parts of the country.

Ayub Malik, General Secretary Awami Party Pakistan, said, “This incident was highlighted because of the video. We should not forget Balochistan.”

Accountability also included financial matters, according to Malik. “Their budgets should be presented in the Parliament. India and the US are our enemies, but even their military allocations are discussed under civilian rule,” he added.

On the other hand, seasoned academic Dr Pervaiz Hoodbhoy highlighted the gloom in the current situation. “This shows that our law enforcement is losing control. The leeway accorded to them is resulting in further chaos.” He added that registration of cases, with proper investigation and stern punishments were necessary to set the house in order.

Another activist Umair Javed saw the event as a logical culmination of being in a ‘security-state’, whereas Ammar Rashid, a member of NSF, termed the incident as an eye-opener for the common man.

At the end of the protest, Muhammad Shakeel, a man in his late fifties, urged for a calm analysis of the situation. While talking to The Express Tribune, the embassy employee said, “I don’t think Muslims are behind the rampant lawlessness in this country. The external forces are certainly playing their part.”

“We just need to realise that a rift is being created among the people and institutions of this country,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 12th, 2011.