The fact-finding committee of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Human Rights on Tuesday said the five people killed in Kharotabad a few days ago were innocent and police officials involved in the killing had been unable to give satisfactory answers to the committee’s queries.
The committee meeting was held with Riaz Fatiyana in the chair who had constituted the fact-finding body consisting of Farah Naz Ispahani, Rahila Baloch and Rubina Kaimkhani to question the officials involved in the killing. Submitting their findings, the members said the taxi driver taking the five Chechens to their destination had told the committee that none of the passengers had weapons or explosive material on them.
Farah Naz said no official was able to answer the questions of the fact-finding body, adding that the Balochistan IG claimed the killing was a result of confusion and fear. Yasmeen Rahman asked the committee that the government be asked to review the budget of Pakistan Rangers and the Frontier Constabulary. Officials summoned by the committee over the killing of Sarfraz Shah by Rangers in Karachi were also questioned.
The additional IG of Sindh police told the committee that Shah had been shot twice. Col Liaqat Hussain of the Rangers Sindh said the Rangers who killed Shah had crossed the limits of their powers and their criminal acts could not be attributed to the whole of the department. The committee expressed its displeasure, saying an organisational head must the held responsible for the misdeeds or crimes of his or her subordinates, as it was their duty to run the affairs per laws.
Calling the killing by Rangers barbaric, the committee said if any person wearing a uniform killed anyone in the future, the head of that department would be held responsible. The committee also took notice of threats being hurled at the family of slain journalist Saleem Shahzad and asked the authorities concerned to provide the family adequate security.
