2011 Sindh Rangers shooting incident
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The 2011 Sindh Rangers shooting incident was a controversial incident regarding the shooting of a 22-year-old Pakistani citizen Sarfaraz Shah by soldiers affiliated with Sindh Rangers, a branch of the paramilitary command Pakistan Rangers
.
Sarfaraz Shah was shot by the paramilitaries in Karachi.
The video from Karachi, which has been broadcast widely on Pakistani television, is disturbing to watch. It shows a young man in a black t-shirt being dragged by his hair in a public park by a man in plain clothes. He is pushed towards a group of Sindh Rangers, a paramilitary force, who are in uniform and armed. The young man, who does not appear to be armed, pleads for his life as one of the Rangers points a gun at his neck. The Ranger then shoots him twice at close range with a G3 assault rifle
, hitting him in the thigh. The young man is seen writhing on the ground, bleeding heavily and begging for help as the video ends, he is not taken to hospital by rangers. He died because of too much blood loss.
The Rangers have since said that the young man had been caught trying to rob someone. His family denies this.
His brother, Salik Shah, said Sarfaraz had been the victim of an extrajudicial killing.
"My innocent brother has been killed brutally by the Rangers," he said. "What harm has he inflicted on anybody? "His crime was that he was just strolling in the public park because there was no power in the house."
It is not clear who shot the video which has been broadcast repeatedly on Pakistani television. Some reports suggest that the cameraman has now gone into hiding. The incident has sparked an outcry with some politicians calling for the Rangers involved to be prosecuted. Ali Dayan Hasan, the Pakistani researcher for Human Rights Watch, said the killing "provides chilling evidence of the abusive, trigger-happy practices of Pakistan's military, paramilitary and civilian agencies".
The chief Justice of Pakistan Mr.Iftakhar Ahmad Chouhdary have taken action on his behalf and the case of those rangers is transferred to the court of Anti-Terrorism.
It comes as a separate inquiry following a similar controversial incident in the neighbouring Balochistan Province involving the killing of five foreigners by members of the paramilitary
. Five civilians, including a heavily pregnant woman, were shot dead at close range in the western city of Quetta, despite apparently trying to surrender. Officials initially said that the five family members were armed and were suicide bombers - but this was later found to be untrue.
The whole episode was recorded incidentally by the crew of a Sindhi TV channel, Awaz Television Network
. They were at the Benazir Shaheed Public Park, Clifton
near the American Consulate in Karachi, at around 1730 on that eventful day, recording their program "Walk & Talk". A person stated to be a security guard at the Park, brought the unfortunate young man to the Rangers riding a White Colored Vehicle numbered 1543. This vehicle is now in the custody of Boat Basin, Karachi Police. The Rangers personnel appeared to be 'hyper', and their physical and mental condition could not be ascertained by an independent medical examination, as they were taken in 'protective' custody by their own comrades. They were handed over to the Police after at least 2 days, by which time it was no more possible to examine their state at the time of the incident.
Pakistan Rangers
The Pakistan Rangers are part of the Paramilitary forces of Pakistan, and consists of members of the Pakistan Army under the direct control of the Ministry of the Interior of the Pakistan Government. The Rangers are an internal security force with the prime objective to provide and maintain...
.
Sarfaraz Shah was shot by the paramilitaries in Karachi.
The video from Karachi, which has been broadcast widely on Pakistani television, is disturbing to watch. It shows a young man in a black t-shirt being dragged by his hair in a public park by a man in plain clothes. He is pushed towards a group of Sindh Rangers, a paramilitary force, who are in uniform and armed. The young man, who does not appear to be armed, pleads for his life as one of the Rangers points a gun at his neck. The Ranger then shoots him twice at close range with a G3 assault rifle
Heckler & Koch G3
The G3 is a 7.62mm battle rifle developed in the 1950s by the German armament manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH in collaboration with the Spanish state-owned design and development agency CETME ....
, hitting him in the thigh. The young man is seen writhing on the ground, bleeding heavily and begging for help as the video ends, he is not taken to hospital by rangers. He died because of too much blood loss.
The Rangers have since said that the young man had been caught trying to rob someone. His family denies this.
His brother, Salik Shah, said Sarfaraz had been the victim of an extrajudicial killing.
"My innocent brother has been killed brutally by the Rangers," he said. "What harm has he inflicted on anybody? "His crime was that he was just strolling in the public park because there was no power in the house."
It is not clear who shot the video which has been broadcast repeatedly on Pakistani television. Some reports suggest that the cameraman has now gone into hiding. The incident has sparked an outcry with some politicians calling for the Rangers involved to be prosecuted. Ali Dayan Hasan, the Pakistani researcher for Human Rights Watch, said the killing "provides chilling evidence of the abusive, trigger-happy practices of Pakistan's military, paramilitary and civilian agencies".
The chief Justice of Pakistan Mr.Iftakhar Ahmad Chouhdary have taken action on his behalf and the case of those rangers is transferred to the court of Anti-Terrorism.
It comes as a separate inquiry following a similar controversial incident in the neighbouring Balochistan Province involving the killing of five foreigners by members of the paramilitary
The Kharotabad Incident
On May 20, 2011, a group of 4 Russian citizens and 1 Tajik, had been travelling in a hired car in Balochistan, a province of Pakistan. They had passed through several police checkpoints and even been searched, but as they approached another checkpoint in the Kharotabad neighborhood of Quetta, they...
. Five civilians, including a heavily pregnant woman, were shot dead at close range in the western city of Quetta, despite apparently trying to surrender. Officials initially said that the five family members were armed and were suicide bombers - but this was later found to be untrue.
The whole episode was recorded incidentally by the crew of a Sindhi TV channel, Awaz Television Network
Awaz Television Network
Awaz TV is a Sindhi Language Television channel with headquarters based in Karachi, Pakistan. It was launched in 2009 and broadcasts entertainment and infotainment programs in Sindhi....
. They were at the Benazir Shaheed Public Park, Clifton
Clifton, Karachi
Clifton is one of the neighbourhoods of Saddar Town in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.-Demographics:There are several ethnic groups in Clifton including Pakhtuns, Muhajirs, Sindhis, Punjabis, Kashmiris, Seraikis, Balochs, Memons, Tanolis, etc. Over 99% of the population is Muslim...
near the American Consulate in Karachi, at around 1730 on that eventful day, recording their program "Walk & Talk". A person stated to be a security guard at the Park, brought the unfortunate young man to the Rangers riding a White Colored Vehicle numbered 1543. This vehicle is now in the custody of Boat Basin, Karachi Police. The Rangers personnel appeared to be 'hyper', and their physical and mental condition could not be ascertained by an independent medical examination, as they were taken in 'protective' custody by their own comrades. They were handed over to the Police after at least 2 days, by which time it was no more possible to examine their state at the time of the incident.