Supreme Court asks government to post out DG Rangers, IG Sindh within three days

The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday directed Establishment Division to post out Director General (DG) Rangers Sindh and Provincial Police Officer (PPO) Sindh for their sheer negligence in dealing with the brutal murder of youth by Rangers' personnel in Karachi on Wednesday.
A larger bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and comprising Justice Javed Iqbal, Justice Nasir-ul-Mulk, Justice Tariq Parvez and Justice Amir Hani Muslim issued the directives while hearing the suo motu case regarding the cold-blooded murder of the unarmed youth, Sarfaraz Shah, by Rangers's personnel in Karachi.
While taking suo moto notice of the incident on Thursday, the SC had summoned Attorney General for Pakistan, Secretary Ministry of Interior, Chief Secretary Sindh, PPO Sindh and DG Sindh Rangers. The bench ordered Establishment Division to post DG Rangers and PPO Sindh out within three days, failing which the perks of both the officials would be ceased.
Meanwhile, the court appointed DIG West (Karachi) Khawaja Sultan as investigation officer of the case, and ordered him to complete the investigation of the case within seven days by submitting challan in the concerned trial court, where the case would be concluded in 30 days on the basis of day to day hearing.
During the course of hearing, CJP questioned as to who had given license to kill to Rangers. CJP inquired from PPO Sindh Fayyaz Laghari about the investigation of the case, to which he submitted that three FIRs were registered in Boat Basin police station, whereas two Rangers personnel had been arrested and produced in a court of law for physical remand.
CJP inquired from DG Rangers, Major General Ejaz Chaudhry, that what action he had taken after the incident. DG Rangers submitted that soon after the incident the responsible were suspended and were taken into custody. AGP Maluvi Anwar-ul-Haq informed the court that weapon was recovered from the deceased. The court was shocked to know that three FIRs were launched at different times after the incident.
The first FIR was registered on June 8 immediately after the incident on complaint of Afsar Khan that his friend Alim Zeb and his wife was allegedly robbed by the deceased, Sarfraz Shah. On the same day, second FIR was registered by Rangers claiming the deceased was carrying illegal weapon with an intention to murder the Ranger soldiers. Third one was registered by the deceased's brother Salik Shah in which he stated that his brother had a quarrel in Benazir Bhutto park, where he succumbed to his injuries and was taken to the Jinnah Hospital.
Latter, he came to know that his brother was gunned down by the two Rangers personnel, Muhammad Afzal and Shahid Zafar along with other two unknown cops. The court found the narration of the facts in these FIRs as contrary to the video footage, shown in the court room. CJP observed, "there must be transparent investigation."
During the course of hearing Justice Javed Iqbal observed the FIRs were exaggerated and not in consonance with the footage. CJP observed, "It is a brutal murder, we will take strict action. It is the second incident during a month that paramilitary forces killed innocent people."
The Chief Justice said that in Kharotabad incident women were begging for life but they were shot dead. It is evident from the video that Sarfraz Shah was unarmed and was also begging for life. CJP asked DG Rangers that what action he had taken to control the damage so far. "You should have resigned immediately after the brutal happening," he added.
DG Rangers admitted that it was a clear case of murder. "I am not justifying the killers brutal act, so the soldiers have been arrested and it is an individual act," he added. When DG Rangers said that his soldiers performed very well in PNS Mehran operation, the CJP remarked, "We appreciate it but cannot allow the Rangers to kill innocent people."
Justice Javed Iqbal observed that Rangers were deployed to control target killing but contrarily they were targeting civilians. When the court inquired about the person in the footage, who handed Sarfraz over to Rangers, the PPO submitted, "he is Khan Afsar, a local citizen."
The court asked, "Why his name was not mentioned in the FIR - Why he and the Rangers personnel who abetted in the murder were not arrested." PPO replied that Khan Afsar was in police custody. "When his name was not mentioned in FIR, how he was taken into custody? He played pivotal role in the killing episode," Justice Javed Iqbal observed.
CJP observed that it was all mala fide an none of the FIR was correct in its content, adding that transparent inquiry of the event was not possible in the presence of DG Rangers and IG Sindh. While trying to satisfy the court, chief secretary Sindh Subhan Memon offer to surrender himself before the court but the CJP remarked instead of him both the DG Ranges and PPO should surrender.
He also assured the court that the cameraman, who captured the event would be given full security. Justice Javed Iqbal asked Secretary Interior and AGP to revise the policy of deputing Rangers in aid of police and civil administration in Karachi, adding that notification and the charter of duty should be reviewed.
The CJP observed that Section 7 of ATA was applicable in the case. "We have no trust that fair investigation can be conducted in presence of these two officers. If we pass an order, a stigma would be attached to them, therefore, Secretary Interior should take action," CJP remarked. Secretary interior assured the court that he would convey the court's message to the high ups, upon which court directed AGP and Secretary Interior to discus the matter with the PM and inform the court within half an hour.
After the break when the hearing resumed, AGP apprised the bench that the prime minister had shown his commitment in the last session of the Parliament to look into the matter personally. "What about the ouster of these two officials from their posts," the CJP asked, adding that "they should have stepped down voluntarily, now we have no option but to pass an order." Later, the court disposed of the suo motu case, directing the concerned authorities to notify to post the DIG Rangers and PPO Sindh out from present positions in three days, failing which both the officers would not entitled to have salaries.