Relatives and residents offer prayers for shooting victim Sarfaraz Shah during his funeral in Karachi on June 9, 2011, after he was shot by Pakistani paramilitary soldiers. – AFP Photo

KARACHI: The June 8 incident of the shooting of 25-year-old Sarfaraz Shah by a Rangers personnel was the result of a personal feud between Sarfaraz and Afsar Khan, a gatekeeper at the Benazir Bhutto park, unnamed police sources told DawnNews.

According to sources, the Rangers personnel involved in the incident were aware that Sarfaraz was not a dacoit. Afsar had filed a police report against Sarfaraz who used to be his neighbour before Afsar shifted to the Shireen Jinnah Colony.

Sources moreover said that on June 5 Sarfaraz and Afsar had an argument at the same park, outside of which Sarfaraz was later shot. During the earlier fight, Afsar had called the Rangers mobile van driver Manthar Ali to the scene, but Sarfaraz managed to get away at the time.

On June 8, Sarfaraz returned to the park where he again had a fight with Afsar. As before, Afsar called Manthar to the scene. After the encounter with Sarfaraz, Afsar filed a report with the police while Rangers Sub-Inspector Bahaur Rahman supplied him [Afsar] with the illegal weapon to facilitate in filing the report against Sarfaraz.

Afsar and the Rangers personnel involved in the incident could face up to six months in prison for filing a false report and for possessing an illegal weapon.