An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Friday sentenced Rangers officer Shahid Zafar to death in Sarfraz Shah’s murder case.
The court also handed life sentences to six other accused and a fine worth Rs. 200,000 each.
Sarfraz Shah was shot at point blank range by Rangers personnel in Benazir Park, Karachi. The incident was recorded and aired on news channels shortly after.
The accused include six Rangers – Bahaur Rehman, Liaquat Ali, Muhammed Tariq, Manthar Ali, Shahid Zafar and Afzal Khan – and an employee of Benazir Park, Afsar Khan, who were put on trial.
Earlier, all the accused were brought to the court amid strict security early this morning to hear the verdict.
The court held its last hearing on Tuesday with final arguments by the defence counsel followed by the concluding remarks from Special Public Prosecutor Muhammad Khan Buriro.
The court later adjourned the hearing and reserved its ruling for Friday.
Sarfaraz Shah was murdered in cold blood. He was in full physical control of Rangers. There was no justification to shoot him. If he had committed any crime or had a criminal record, the matter should have been properly adjudicated.
We have yet to see whether at the end of the day, the sentences announced will be carried out or at any of the appeal stages, they will remain unpunished. I do not have much confidence in our judicial system. The top man is too busy with his political agenda and does not have any time to cleanse his domain of all the black sheep stuffed therein.
right decision. this should serve all law enforcing agency personnels as a good lesson.
Junior ranked personnel of Ranger can not open fire on his own unless ordered by the head of the team. Why others are also not sentenced to death. Video of this brutal acts speaks volumes about other soldiers who were equally seen active in this engagement. I hope the Sindh High Court and the Supreme Court will take notice when ever any appeal goes to them. These personnel where behaving like a pack of wolves as if hunting a lamb.
Right decision, but court should sentence to death to all six.
I agree with the court`s verdict to hang the culprit and give life in prison sentences to the protagonists, but i also think the media is making a martyr out of the victim. It was also stated earlier that he had tried to rob a number of women at gunpoint, and had previously been involved in such misdemeanors; and was in fact a petty thief. Also, the victims family have now been served justice, and also given monetary compensation. Please, i urge the media to present all the facts in a fair and impartial manner, and NOT create unnecessary sentiment for the victim based on their need to create sensationalism and higher ratings. It was a bad affair, now MOVE on. Yes, the rangers or any organized security force in the country MUST NOT be allowed to shoot civilians based on their own whims, but they also have a responsibility to uphold discipline in the masses. Please, someone, shoot the target killers in Karachi, who kill innocents.
we are pleased to saw the news on the tv channel it would be inshallah a great lesson for those who involve in such king of activities now no one will have any dare to take a step like this.
i think it is right decetion now no any wil dare to take any step like this case of sarfraz shah may be i should wrong forgive me my friends!!!!
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