By Anshul Tewari:
Whoever said that Pakistan has a powerful security establishment needs to rethink that! About a week back, Paksitan’s paramilitary rangers shot dead an unarmed teenager in Karachi. I saw the video footage of the same on a local television channel. Even though I wanted to post the entire video, to show how bad the situation really is, I refrain from doing so due to its graphic nature.
The video, captured by a cameraman from Pakistan’s Awaz television channel, shows a youth, identified as Sarfaraz Shah, arguing with paramilitary rangers in Karachi. The 18-year-old appears to plead for mercy before being shot at close quarters. He then falls to the ground and screams in pain as blood pools beneath his legs.
The incident goes to show how human rights are being violated in Pakistan, so much so that the common man is not even given a fair chance to fight for his rights.
The video’s broadcast comes a few days after a prominent journalist was tortured to death after reporting claims about al-Qaida. Military intelligence officials have rejected claims they played a role in the killing.
Pakistan’s Daily Times newspaper said the military, paramilitary forces, police and intelligence agencies “who confidently violate human rights” should be held accountable for their actions.
“The security and law enforcement forces that do not respect the law themselves are inviting anarchy, which arguably is already under way,” it said in an editorial.
Last year, a video emerged of two teenage brothers being beaten to death before being strung up on a metal pole in broad daylight as police personnel looked on. (source)
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