Pakistani soldiers charged with murder of civilian in Karachi

Six paramilitary soldiers to be tried by civilian court after being caught on camera apparently shooting unarmed suspect Sarfaraz Shah Six Pakistani paramilitary soldiers face a possible death sentence after being charged with the murder of an unarmed civilian in a Karachi park this month. The shooting in broad daylight of Sarfaraz Shah, who was accused of theft, led to a national furore after a video of his death was aired on television . Many Pakistanis were horrified to see a uniformed man shoot the 22-year-old twice at point blank range as he begged for mercy, then watch him bleed to death. A civilian who dragged Shah towards the rangers, seen on camera grabbing him by the hair, has also been charged. If convicted, all seven face the death penalty. “The court has formally framed charges of murder and terrorism against all the accused,” prosecutor Mohammad Khan Buriro told reporters. The accused men have pleaded not guilty. The brutality of the slaying amplified strong criticism of Pakistan’s security forces that started with the death of Osama bin Laden on 2 May, reaching as far as the national parliament. The scrutiny has brought some changes. The six soldiers are standing trial before a civilian court instead of a military tribunal, as is usually the case. The supreme court had taken the rare step of ordering the head of the Sindh Rangers, a two-star general, to be transferred. The army says it will comply. The security forces are beset by other scandals too. In western Balochistan province Frontier Corps paramilitaries are under investigation for the shooting of five unarmed Chechens, including a pregnant woman, at a checkpoint. The corps initially claimed they were suicide bombers, which proved to be untrue. Video footage showed the Chechens trying to surrender as they were being shot. In Islamabad a judicial inquiry has been launched into the death of investigative journalist Saleem Shahzad, who was found dead after disappearing from the city centre. He had previously told colleagues he feared his life was in danger from the powerful Inter-Services Intelligence agency . The ISI has denied the allegation. Scenes of death and destruction have become commonplace on Pakistan television since a wave of Taliban attacks in major cities started four years ago. But Pakistanis were shocked at the images of Shah’s death because they showed the young man screaming as he slowly died in a public park named after the assassinated prime minister Benazir Bhutto. Police said they recovered an imitation pistol from Shah’s body, heightening suspicions that he was a thief. But the video evidence swung public opinion firmly against the soldiers. “The video had a huge impact. No civilised force has the right to shoot an unarmed man,” said Zafar Hilaly, a retired diplomat. The shooting was filmed by a TV cameraman with a local station. The journalists’ union in Karachi said the reporter had received death threats and had been pressured by the authorities to “say it was a fake”. Videos have played a prominent role in Pakistan in recent years. In 2009 the country was electrified by a footage of Taliban militants whipping a young girl in Swat , triggering outrage that paved the way for an army assault months later. Last year a video emerged of soldiers executing blindfolded militants , also in Swat, triggering criticism from the US that forced the army chief to order a military inquiry. No findings have yet been made public. Pakistan Declan Walsh guardian.co.uk

Posted by on June 29, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.