Cop retracts charges in Sarfaraz murder case

KARACHI: A policeman who had accused Sarfaraz Shah, an unarmed youth killed by Rangers personnel in the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Park in Clifton on June 8, of trying to rob his family retracted his charges on Friday, Geo News reported.

Geo News quoted investigation officers as saying that the policeman, Alam Zeb, had said he had never complained that Shah had tried to rob his family ñ an allegation levelled in an FIR lodged by a private contractor, Afsar Shah.

The contractor had handed over the victim to six Rangersí personnel, one of whom shot him at point-blank range. The soldiers then stood by as the youth bled to death. The extrajudicial murder shocked the nation and led to countrywide protests and calls for the withdrawal of the paramilitary force from the city. On Friday, investigation officers said the policeman had told them that a bid had been made on June 8 to rob his family but it was not Sarfaraz Shah who had made that attempt.

However, some other investigation officers said the policemen did accuse the youth of trying to rob his family. This exposed contradictions between members of the investigation team. Also on Friday, the administrative judge of anti-terrorism courts sent the six Rangers personnel and the private contractor to jail and directed the investigation officer to submit the charge sheet against them on Saturday.