KARACHI, July 4: An anti-terrorism court on Monday recorded testimonies of a policeman and the brother of Sarfraz Shah in the Rangers personnel murder case.

Six personnel of Pakistan Rangers, Sindh, and a civilian have been charged with the murder of Sarfraz Shah, who was shot at and then left to die inside the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Park in Clifton on June 8.

Salik Shah, brother of the deceased and a complainant in the case, and a sub-inspector appeared in court and recorded their statements.

The complainant deposed that he was a journalist by profession and he was at the office on June 8 when his mother informed him over the phone that Sarfraz had a quarrel with someone in the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Park and that Rangers and police were also present there.

He said he rushed to the Boat Basin police station where a police officer informed him that a young man was wounded due to Rangers' firing and he was shifted to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre.

Upon his arrival at the JPMC, he found the body of his brother in the emergency section, he said.

He testified that two Rangers personnel (Shahid Zafar and Afzal Khan) present there advised him to approach the police station concerned when he asked them why they had killed his brother.

After completing legal formalities, the police handed over the body to him, the complainant said. He added that he along his with relatives and colleagues took the body to Chief Minister's House and staged a sit-in where senior police officials assured them of legal action against the accused.

Mr Shah said he approached the Boat Basin police station where the duty officer recorded his statement and registered an FIR after midnight.

He said he fell unconscious after watching the footage of his brother's murder on a TV channel.

He pointed at the accused Rangers personnel saying that he saw two of them near the body of his brother in the JPMC besides they all were also shown in the footage.

While cross-examining the complainant, the defence counsel asked him as to why he nominated only two accused personnel in the first information report.

They also questioned the complainant if it was true that he didn't mention about the appearance of the accused personnel in the FIR. He replied in the affirmative.

The defence counsel alleged that the deceased youngster was a criminal and was arrested once on a robbery charge before being killed. They argued that the complainant got him released since he had good relations with the police. However, the complainant responded in the negative.

Appearing in court, Sub-Inspector Riaz Hussain testified that he was a duty officer at the Boat Basin police station and the complainant along with his relatives and friends arrived there to lodge a case on the night of June 8. He deposed that he subsequently informed the station house officer who after consulting the police high-ups asked him to register the FIR.

The police officer said he recorded the statement of the complainant under Section 154 of the criminal procedure code and registered the FIR accordingly and then referred it to the investigation section.

On June 9, he added, two of the accused were arrested and a memo of arrest was prepared in his presence and he signed it as a witness.

The defence counsel later cross-examined the witness.

Following the completion of their statements, judge of ATC-I Bashir Ahmed Khoso, who is conducting the trial, adjourned the hearing till Tuesday when the evidence of further witnesses would be recorded.

Sub-Inspector Bahaur Rehman, Lance Naik Liaquat Ali, constables Mohammad Tariq, Manthar Ali, Shahid Zafar and Afzal Khan of Pakistan Rangers and a private contractor, Afsar Khan have been booked under Section 302 (premeditated murder), 36 (effect caused partly by act and partly by omission) and 34 (common intention) of the PPC read with Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

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