ISLAMABAD: A five member bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, on Friday directed the government to transfer both DG Rangers and IG Sindh over the killing of Sarfaraz Shah by Rangers personnel on Friday, DawnNews reported.

Chief Justice Iftikhar, after hearing a suo motu notice over Shah’s killing, directed the government to remove from their posts DG Rangers and Sindh inspector general of police Fayyaz Leghari.

It was in Karachi, in the southern province, where Shah was killed on Wednesday.

The court warned that if the two officials were not transferred within the next three days, their salaries will be stopped.

“Their salaries will be stopped and official benefits also withdrawn,” a court official quoted Chief Justice Iftikhar as saying.

If the government did not do so within three days, “the court itself will take action against them”, he added.

Chief Justice Iftikhar had ordered the attorney general and other senior government officials to appear in court on Friday.

“Two days have passed, people have not slept out of grief and shock and you did nothing,” the court official quoted the judge as telling them.

Chief Justice Iftikhar appointed top police official Sultan Khawaja to investigate the matter and submit his report to the court in seven days.

In a letter, the court registrar described the shooting “in cold blood” as “tantamount to extrajudicial killing by the law enforcing agency” and a “brazen violation of most essential fundamental right”.

The court also directed Secretary Interior to present a report on the incident.

Chief Justice Iftikhar also directed Karachi police and Rangers to determine if there was any criminal record against Shah.