Senate HR panel concerned over presidential pardon to Rangers

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Committee on Human Rights Tuesday expressed grave concern over reports about presidential pardon to the Rangers convicted of 2011 murder of a young boy and termed it a cruel joke. Chaired by Senator Nasreen Jalil, the committee meeting was attended by Senators Karim Khawaja, Mufti Abdus Sattar, Nisar Muhammad Khan, Samina Abid, Sehar Kamran and Rubina Khalid.

Minister and secretary for human rights and other officials were in attendance. The issue came up when Senator Farhatullah Babar sought the chairperson’s permission to discuss 'any other item’ after the conclusion of agenda. "This is an unacceptable affront to the human rights of victims and their families. It is a license to uniformed personnel to brandish guns and kill innocent people at will and with impunity," he said, adding that official sources quoted in the media reports lent it credibility.

Babar said it was not easy to erase the images of a terrified Sarfaraz Shah beseeching his innocence with folded hands and the sadistic pleasure on the face of the shooter. “The shameful images will continue to shake conscious even in a distant age and distant clime and long after all characters involved had vanished,” he said.

Babar said pardon without consent of the victims will further embolden the LEAs to take law into their own hands at will and with impunity. He said it will be a monumental pity if President Mamnoon left behind a highly dubious legacy that 'criminals and convicts who once wore uniform are a breed apart from criminals who have never worn uniform'. “This legacy will turn the already broken criminal justice system on its head,” he warned.

All members of the committee invited by the chairperson to express their views strongly condemned the move and demanded that a powerful message be sent across in the form of a unanimous resolution against pardoning the criminals. Minister for human rights endorsed the members’ sentiments saying that the subject was dealt with by the interior ministry and that he will take it up with the minister.