The murder case against paramilitary personnel allegedly involved in the murder of Sarfaraz Shah was launched under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997, as the incident was pre-planned and spread extreme panic, sense of insecurity and fear among the citizens, said case Investigation Officer (IO) DIG Sultan Khawaja on Wednesday.
He said this while responding to a question during cross-examination by the defence counsel at an anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Wednesday, where the trial is being held.
Khawaja, the 20th prosecution witness of the case, also said that the incident was ‘pre-planned and pre-intimated’.
During cross-examination, the DIG responded to another question that he was assigned to head an investigation team, comprising officials from Inter-Services Intelligence, Military Intelligence, Special Branch, Intelligence Bureau and Sindh Police. According to the Joint Investigation Report, it was concluded that the incident was not pre-planned but the accused Rangers personnel had left the youth to die deliberately, which reflected their intention.
After cross-examination of the witnesses, Special Public Prosecutor submitted an application to close the prosecution side. ATC Judge Bashir Ahmed Khoso adjourned the case hearing for Thursday, wherein the accused will submit their comments.
A total of twenty prosecution witnesses have recorded their statements before the trial court.
During the last hearing, the IO had deposed in the ATC that the accused Rangers personnel could have saved the youth’s life by shifting him to hospital in their van.
“The Rangers personnel waited for an ambulance to shift the deceased to a hospital, and this showed their intention that they wanted to kill the young man,” Khawaja had said.
Seven suspects, including sub-inspector Bahaur Rehman, Lance Naik Liaquat Ali, constable Mohammad Tariq, van driver Manthar Ali, Shahid Zafar, Afzal Khan and an employee of the city government’s park department, Afsar Khan, were arrested on charge of killing an unarmed civilian inside the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Park in Clifton on June 8.
Initially, the paramilitary force’s officials claimed a bandit was killed in an encounter and lodged a criminal case against him at the Boat Basin police station. However, later in the same day, television channels aired the video footage of the killing, showing actually what had happened and exposed the law enforcers’ barbaric act. The captured video showed uniformed Rangers personnel thrashing unarmed Shah and shooting him twice from point-blank range. The victim writhed in pain a pool of blood, begging the security personnel to take him to a hospital, but they took no action while the ‘bandit’ died in front of their eyes.
Consequently, a case (FIR 227/2011), under sections 302 and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code, was lodged at the same police station on complaint of the victim’s brother Salik Shah, against the Rangers personnel appearing in the video footage.
