Extrajudicial Killing: 7 accused indicted in Sarfaraz Shah case

Accused formally indicted by an anti-terrorism court in Karachi.

KARACHI:

All seven men, including six rangers personnel, involved in the extrajudicial killing of Sarfaraz Shah were formally indicted by an anti-terrorism court in Karachi on Wednesday.

The accused were produced before the court by jail authorities while the charge-sheet was read out by presiding officer of Anti Terrorism Court-I. The charge stated that the accused Shahid Zafar, Muhammad Afzal, Bahaur Rahman, Liaquat Ali, Muhammad Tariq and Manthar Ali, armed with official weapons, took Shah into custody on June 8 at about 17:30 pm with the help of a civilian, Afsar Khan. It added that Shah died as a result of injuries caused by accused Zafar.

The charge also stated that Shah’s killing spread terror, created fear and a sense of insecurity in the public and thus the accused committed an offence under Anti Terrorism Act 1997. The accused, however, pleaded not guilty after which the court ordered Special Public Prosecutor Muhammad Khan Buriro to call the witnesses and proceed with the trial against the seven men. The court later adjourned the proceedings till Thursday morning.



Published in The Express Tribune, June 30^th, 2011.