- Rangers say there were invited by CBC officials, have not forcibly taken over entire ground
Investigation into the taking over of the Cantonment Board Clifton (CBC) sports ground by the Rangers has revealed that the Board had allocated only one room inside the ground to the paramilitary force for surveillance, but the Rangers decided to commandeer the entire Punjab Colony Sports Ground and take up residence there, Pakistan Today has learnt.
It has further been revealed that the federal force was desperately looking for a place in Clifton area to establish its presence there. The CBC offered a number of options to the paramilitary force, but the Rangers chose the Punjab Colony Sports Ground.
It is pertinent to mention here that the Rangers occupied Clifton sports ground a few weeks ago and forcibly evicted the cricket, football and hockey clubs for establishing an office-cum-residence for its 35-Wing company there.
This is the only ground for the hundreds of thousands of residents living in adjoining areas. The residents had fought tooth and nail in the past to protect their ground from land grabbing attempts even from the CBC administration. They pursued their case in court and even enlisted political parties’ help in making sure the only ground catering to the residents of Delhi Colony, Punjab Colony, Chandio Village, Gabol Colony and Madni Abad would remain with the residents. However, since the paramilitary force has jumped into the fray, the people who fought similar attempts in the past feel they are left with no recourse.
NEED FOR SECURITY:
A well-placed source close to the developments told this scribe that the Rangers had conditioned security of CBC with the provision of space for its office in the locality.
“CBC needs Rangers security and the Rangers were looking for a place to establish a base for its troops,” the source said and added that the Rangers did not want to have a modest presence in the area and, therefore, took over the whole ground instead of a smaller contingent which he said was all that was required to meet the security requirements of the area.
“The CBC offered Rangers a space for its office near Teen Talwar as well as the CBC Fire Station, but the federal force refused the available sites and insisted that they should be allocated the sports ground, a stone’s throw away from the fire station,” the source maintained.
CBC Enforcement Cell head Saqib Shahzad, who gave only his first name, claimed that the Rangers were allowed to establish their office in the ground to keep an eye on the criminal elements in the neighbourhood, but the federal force had adopted residence in it.
ROLE OF CBC:
Saqib claimed efforts were made to occupy the 4.9-acre sports ground in the past and there were reports that drug peddlers were conducting their trade there.
“To stop the encroachment and the drug selling business, the federal force was allocated a room inside the ground, but instead, it has taken up residence in it,” he added.
“The decision to provide space to Rangers for surveillance in the area was taken during a meeting of CBC CEO Shahrome Safdar Khattak and Cantonment Board President Brig Muhammad Zahir Malik with the higher-ups of the paramilitary force,” Saqib said.
Saqib claimed they were promised the paramilitary force would end temporary residence in the ground as soon as an alternative accommodation was arranged for them.
INVITATION TO RANGERS:
Sindh Rangers spokesman Major Syed Sibtain Rizvi during a meeting with Pakistan Today showed a letter issued by Cantonment Board President Brig Muhammad Zahir Malik in which the Board had invited the paramilitary force for implementation of the CBC by-laws in the locality.
“We received this letter which had been sent to the Karachi Corp Commander as well as the CBC higher-ups on April 14,” Major Rizvi said.
“Responding to the request of the CBC, Rangers troops were rushed to the assigned venue to help the CBC in the implementation of its by-laws.”
LEFT WITHOUT A HOME:
After entering the ground the Rangers evicted the cricket, football and hockey clubs operating in the ground. The clubs were told that they could still schedule matches in the ground after obtaining permission from the Rangers.
A scheduled two-day cricket series between Modern Cricket Club and Delhi Boys was postponed when the two teams were denied entry to the ground by the paramilitary force. The series was scheduled to be held on April 30 and May 1.
Modern Cricket Club President Imran Khan Niazi rejected the claims of CBC of land occupation and alleged that the authorities there wanted to convert the land into a commercial area.
“CBC wants to construct a market on the ground and they had even offered me a shop there to keep my mouth shut,” Niazi alleged.
He admitted that some drug addicts used to roam the ground but the area’s youth had driven them out of the premises for good.
Brigadier Muhammad Zahir Malik invited Rangers that makes sense it is called non arm length transaction.
Army conquer any land any where in Pakistan because they are highly trained and one of the best army in the world.
But they can not even keep Siachen lost the battle of Kargil, lost the war on Bangladesh, in 65 years not even take an inch of Kashmir from India list goes on and on ………………..
MATH DOES NOT ADD UP.
Anonymous you are an idiot to be very polite. This is an entirety and internal matter of the Cantt Board. So just stay in Dehli your home and don’t poke your filthy nose.
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