ISLAMABAD, July 26: The Supreme Court on Friday expressed disappointment that the Rangers personnel involved in the shooting of an unarmed taxi driver in Karachi’s Gulistan-i-Jauhar on July 16 were not being dealt with strictly.

A three-judge Supreme Court bench, which had taken suo motu notice on the killing of the taxi driver, regretted that the paramilitary soldiers were being tried under the Pakistan Penal Code instead of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997.

Murid Abbas, the taxi driver, was buying fruit across the road near Kamran Chowrangi when the Rangers personnel signalled him to stop. When he allegedly failed to stop his vehicle, the Rangers personnel shot him dead.

“We have pointed out that the manner in which the FIR has been registered without applying relevant sections of the law is sufficient to prima facie draw a conclusion that the culprits are not being dealt with strictly as per the law,” observed the chief justice while dictating the orders.

The Supreme Court ordered Attorney General Muneer A. Malik to supervise the investigations into the killings of innocent persons by Rangers. The AG was also asked to hold consultations with the Prosecutor General and the Advocate General of Sindh.

The alleged lapses in registration of the case give rise to apprehensions that the dead man’s family would not get justice, the court observed.

In view of the sensitivity of the matter and the fact that such incidents sow fear in society, the court observed, the trial of the suspects should be held under Section 19(4) of the Anti Terrorism Act of 1997.

The court ordered the police as well as the Rangers to complete their investigation in the murder case of Murid Abbas as early as possible and directed the trial court to decide the matter not later than one month from the date of submission of the challan.

Earlier Attorney General Muneer A. Malik informed the court that an FIR had been lodged in the case of Murid Abbas and that the Rangers’ response this time was better than what it was in the murder case of Sarfraz Shah in June 2011.

Advocate Shahid Bajwa, who represents the Rangers, informed the Supreme Court that Dua Bibi, widow of the taxi driver, had been offered a job along with a compensation of Rs1.8 million. The Rangers had paid Rs200,000 to the widow as she had been observing Iddat (a 40-day period spent at home by a woman after death of her husband).

The chief justice observed the court was aware that the country was passing through turbulent times and the law enforcers were paying with their lives for defending the nation. However, he regretted, the act of killing an innocent and unarmed taxi driver by a man in uniform was a grave matter.

Justice Jawwad S Khawaja, a member of the bench, observed that the court only wanted the forces to behave sensibly and to learn from their mistakes.

“I have learnt that personnel of law enforcement agencies attend a three-month course to learn how to salute their seniors. There should also be a course to teach them how to deal with unarmed civilians,” observed Justice Khawaja.

Shahid Bajwa, the Rangers’ counsel, assured the bench that he would convey the suggestion to the Director General of Rangers.

Recalling an identical incident of June 4 when Rangers gunned down a 30-year-old man, Ghulam Haider, in Shah Faisal Colony, the court was told that the case was under trial.

Mr Haider had reportedly hit a motorcyclist and was trying to stop the vehicle when a Rangers man opened fire on him. The victim, who got married only 20 days previously, sustained a single bullet wound to the head and died on the spot.