ISLAMABAD: The chiefs of the Pakistan Rangers Sindh and Sindh police were removed in compliance with the Supreme Court’s order on Tuesday.
Director General Rangers Sindh Maj General Muhammad Ejaz Chaudhry has been removed from his post.
The ISPR confirmed that Sindh Rangers Director General Maj Gen Ejaz Chaudhry has been removed from his post. Chaudhry’s new posting may take time and a decision in that regard has not yet been taken.
Express 24/7 correspondent Shaheryar Mirza reported that Sindh Inspector General Fayyaz Leghari has also been removed from his post.
Chaudhry was removed after the attorney-general wrote to the government to immediately remove the chiefs of the Pakistan Rangers Sindh and Sindh police, in line with the Supreme Court’s orders in the Sarfaraz Shah extrajudicial murder case.
The Chief Justice of Pakistan maintained that the Rangers chief was impeding the investigation, and ordered his removal.
Updated from print edition (below)
AG advises immediate sacking of Rangers, police chiefs
The attorney-general has written to the government to immediately remove the chiefs of the Pakistan Rangers Sindh and Sindh police, in line with the Supreme Court’s orders in the Sarfaraz Shah extrajudicial murder case.
Resuming hearing on Monday of a suo motu case of the incident, in which unarmed 19-year-old Shah was shot and killed by Sindh Rangers’ personnel in Karachi, the court ordered the establishment division to issue a notification to remove Sindh Rangers Director General Maj Gen Ejaz Chaudhry and Sindh Inspector General Fayyaz Leghari from their posts within three days as they could influence investigations.
The court order for their removal came during the case’s last hearing on Saturday. Attorney General Maulvi Anwarul Haq told the court that the governments, both federal and provincial, would respect and implement the directives issued on the case.
Govt review petition?
Speaking to the media in Islamabad, Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Maulvi Anwarul Haq had said that the court’s verdict in the case cannot be challenged. “A review petition in a suo motu case cannot be filed on technical grounds,” he said. “However, Chaudhry and Leghari can file a review petition in their personal capacity. But technically, the suo motu generates no party so the government is not a party.”
His statement came amid rumours that Sindh Advocate General Fateh Malik was in consultation with Pakistan Peoples Party leader and former law minister Babar Awan over filing a review petition challenging the dismissal of the Sindh Rangers’ and police chiefs by the SC. Eventually, a petition was not filed.
Media being threatened
In the backdrop of the AGP’s media interaction, a crew from Awaz TV, the channel that captured the footage of Faraz’s execution by the Rangers, appealed to Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry to direct the authorities to provide them protection amid threats. The channel then also provided the video footage to other stations, which then lead to public outrage. Zahid Essa, Islamabad bureau chief of Awaz TV, pleaded in a written application that he had ordered the cameraman to capture the event. He said that he and his staffers were being threatened while the channel was also being pressured.
Six Rangers’ men remanded
Meanwhile, six personnel of Pakistan Rangers Sindh and a civilian accused in Shah’s killing were remanded to police custody till June 15 by the Anti-Terrorism Court Administrative Judge (AJ) on Monday. The accused were brought to the Sindh High Court at about 2pm in an armoured personnel carrier. No reason was given for the tightened security but public anger could have been a factor.
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