In a remarkably swift judgement, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Karachi has handed down capital punishment to Rangers constable Shahid Zafar, the man guilty of pulling the trigger on Sarfaraz Shah in broad daylight in Karachi two months ago. The court also sentenced five other rangers and one civilian to life in prison along with fines.
The incident, which took place in a Karachi park not far from Bilawal House, was caught on tape by a cameraman of a local television network. As the video went viral on national and international airwaves and internet, public fury multiplied and calls for immediate action became louder and clearer. Fortunately, Supreme Court of Pakistan took note and a suo motu action ensued. It must be noted that the entire case was heard in a pro-prosecution environment due to immense public pressure.
Sarfaraz Shah's family as well as the general public greatly appreciated the verdict, Karachi residents, understandably, rejoiced at the judgement claiming it a victory against inhumane, arrogant, and trigger-happy attitude displayed by law enforcement agency personnel in the city. In the past, there have been far too many incidents of 'police encounters' of dubious nature in Karachi, and those responsible never had to face a trial in the court of law.
However, conforming to the 'right place at right time' adage, cameraperson Abdul Salam Soomro's presence ensured that this case would not be swept under the carpet like previous ones. The ATC's decision has also set a precedent to break the culture of impunity scourging our security forces leading to unchecked abuse of power.
This is the first time an officer belonging to law-enforcement agencies has been given capital punishment for a crime by a civilian court and that alone is praiseworthy. The conclusion of this case barely two months after the crime was committed also shows the power of media and civil/judicial activism. After the verdict, the defence voiced its plan to appeal the ATC's judgement.
During the trial, the ATC's jurisdiction was challenged and the defence lawyers were of the view that this crime did not fall under the definition of a terrorist act. The petition to move the case to a regular court was rejected by Judge Bashir Ahmed Khoso. Though the resolution of a very public case is commendable, questions do remain whether or not this crime was a 'terror act'.
The Karachi incident, coupled with the Kharotabad incident, raises questions about the training imparted to our security forces, considering the lack of empathy, compassion and efficiency missing from their actions. There is a severe lack of trust between the citizens and security personnel in Karachi and these cases only increase the schism between the two. The mindset of operating outside the ambit of law has to be changed.
This can only be done with sincere interest shown by policymakers who under a legal framework, keeping in mind the social, moral, ethical and political obligations, must formulate and implement a set of rules for better policing and stronger judiciary. This particular case was highlighted because it was recorded and televised across the board. Thousands more are still waiting their turn in district and sessions courts.
The aim of the policymakers should be to create an environment, which is citizen-centric -where the public trusts the custodians of the law - and change the mindset, which is openly supportive of violent measures to find a resolution to every problem. The bottom line remains, however, that for once there was a resolution to a case which is so fresh in mind of public, and one can hope that the verdict could provide closure and sense of justice to the grieving family.