- Resolution passed by Sindh Assembly limits Rangers’ role to curbing targeted killing, extortion, kidnapping for ransom and sectarian killing
- Resolution bars Rangers from raiding any govt office without prior written approval from Sindh chief secy
- Opp members protest resolution, say it aims to curtail Rangers’ powers
After delaying the matter of extension of special policing powers to Sindh Rangers in Karachi for nearly 12 days, the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) on Wednesday moved a resolution asking for checks and conditions on Rangers’ powers to raid and arrest suspects, and extended their deployment in Karachi for one year.
The resolution was later passed amidst vociferous protests of the opposition members, including the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM).
Sindh Home Minister Sohail Anwar Sial presented the resolution on the critical issue of Rangers’ powers on the floor of the Sindh Assembly, amid chants and slogans by opposition members. The opposition members claimed that the provincial government wanted to seriously curtail the paramilitary force’s powers.
The resolution states that Rangers will only have powers with respect to the following: targeted killing, extortion, kidnapping for ransom and sectarian killing.
“That any person, who is not directly involved in terrorism and is only suspected of aiding and abetting terrorists or by way of terror financing or facilitating terrorists shall not be placed under preventive detention under any law without prior written approval of the Government of Sindh i.e. Chief Minister. It is clarified that in case a person is suspected of the above, cogent reasons with complete evidence justifying such preventive detention shall be provided to Government of Sindh, which will, based on the available evidence, approve or reject such proposal of preventive detention.”
“The Pakistan Rangers Sindh shall not raid any office of Government of Sindh or any other Government Authority without prior written approval of the Chief Secretary, Government of Sindh.”
Opposition members, including those from the MQM, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) and PML-Q (PML-Q) tore apart their copies of the resolution and staged a walkout from the assembly to register their protest against the provincial government.
PTI MPA Khurram Sher Zaman, in a presser outside the assembly, rejected the resolution saying that the provincial government was in fact threatening the Karachi operation.
Earlier, the provincial government had said that it was not reluctant to extend special policing powers to Rangers in Karachi, but was just trying to fulfil the constitutional requirement by getting it approved through the Sindh Assembly.