Cameraman testifies in Rangers killing case
KARACHI: A private TV channel cameraman, who had filmed the killing of Sarfraz Shah in a park last month, identified six personnel of Pakistan Rangers, Sindh, and a private contractor in an anti-terrorism court on Wednesday.
Sub-Inspector Bahaur Rehman, Lance Naik Liaquat Ali, Constables Mohammad Tariq, Manthar Ali, Shahid Zafar, Mohammad Afzal and contractor Afsar Khan are facing trial under the Anti-Terrorism Act for killing the unarmed youth inside the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Park on June 8.
According to the prosecution, the youth was shot at twice and left to die by the accused personnel as was shown in the footage aired by several private TV channels.
Appearing before judge of the ATC-I Bashir Ahmed Khoso, eyewitness Abdul Salam Soomro, Awaz TV cameraman, testified that on the day of incident he with other team members went to the park for shooting of their programme, when he saw the man in plain clothes beating up the boy.
He said that on a direction of the programme’s host, Zahid Hussain Khokhar, he filmed the man who beat up the boy and hauled him towards the Rangers van. He said he captured the scene on tape as Sarfraz Shah was handed over to the Rangers squad. The cameraman deposed that the accused personnel fired two shots at Sarfraz and then left him to die, though the latter was crying for help.
He testified that he later handed over the video to the newsroom team who put it on air. He said the police and the judicial magistrate concerned later recorded his statement.
Later, the defence counsel for the accused cross-examined the prosecution witness.
Adjourning the hearing till July 21, Judge Bashir Khoso summoned other prosecution witnesses on the next date for recording their statements.
Source: Dawn
Date:7/21/2011
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