Extrajudicial killing: Two witnesses record statements in court

The Rangers official was taken into custody for allegedly killing a man on June 4.

KARACHI:

Two prosecution witnesses recorded their statements in the Anti-Terrorism Court on Tuesday in a case pertaining to the alleged extrajudicial killing of a man by a Ranger’s official.

The Rangers official, Shahzad, has been charged with killing Ghulam Haider, who allegedly failed to stop his car when ordered to do so in the limits of Shah Faisal Colony police station on June 4. Judge Bashir Ahmed Khoso of ATC-I, who is conducting the trial on a day-to-day basis on the orders of the apex court, recorded statements of two policemen, Mazhar Hayat and Mehfooz Ali, who witnessed several Mashahirnamas [memos] in the case.

Hayat told the court that the investigating officer of the case had impounded the car as a case property in his presence.

Meanwhile, Ali told the court that the place of the incident was inspected in his presence.

Ali said that he accompanied the investigating officer to the Rangers Headquarters where Shahzad was handed over to the police by the Rangers official.

Ali identified Shahzad in the court as the same suspect who was arrested by the investigating officer in his presence.

Following the testimonies, the counsels cross-examined the witnesses and no contradiction was sighted. The court was adjourned till Wednesday.

A case (FIR No. 148/2013) was registered against the Rangers personnel under Sections 302 (punishment for premeditated murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, at the Shah Faisal Colony police station on complaint of the deceased’s cousin.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 4^th, 2013.