Six Pak Rangers indicted for killing unarmed youth

Seven men, including six paramilitary troopers, accused of involvement in the shooting and killing of an unarmed man in a park in Karachi were indicted by an anti-terrorism court on Wednesday.

All the accused pleaded not guilty after anti-terrorism court Judge Bashir Ahmed Khoso read out the accusations levelled against them.

Following the indictment, the case was adjourned till Thursday.

"The court has formally framed charges of murder and terrorism against all the accused," public prosecutor Mohammad Khan Buriro told mediapersons.

The six Pakistan Rangers personnel and a civilian were accused of involvement in the killing of Sarfraz Shah, 18, in the Benazir Bhutto Park in Karachi on June 8.

The killing was filmed by a TV cameraman and the footage, aired by all news channels, shocked people across the country

The Supreme Court took suo moto notice of the incident and directed that the trial by the anti-terrorism court should be completed in 30 days.

Maj Gen Ejaz Chaudhry, head of the Pakistan Rangers in southern Sindh province, and Sindh Police chief Fayyaz Leghari were transferred on the orders of the apex court so that they could not influence investigations.

During the proceedings, Judge Khoso said Shahid Zafar was the Pakistan Rangers personnel who shot Shah, after which the youth bled to death.

The other security personnel involved in the incident and Muhammad Absar, the man who took Shah to the Rangers and claimed he was a robber, were present in court.