Rangers and the Karachi Operation

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Needless uncertainty

  

It has been clear for a while now that the presence, and special powers, of Rangers is essential for the Karachi Operation to be a success. It has also been pretty obvious that all sorts of crime – from kidnapping for ransom to street robberies, etc – witnessed a downtrend the moment Karachi police handed over the city’s security to the Rangers. Therefore, it ought to be in the interest of Karachi, or at least those who run the city, for the paramilitary force to cleanse the city as soon as possible.

Yet the Operation has lasted a while, and the PPP government, once again, is unhappy enough with it to put a spanner in the works, once again, now that the special powers have expired. Similar delaying tactics were employed last time. And yet again the CM and provincial interior minister will fly to Dubai for instructions regarding the way forward. Clearly PPP will resist expanding the Operation deeper into Sindh. It did not like the way it mutated from a purely security operation to take on an unexpected political outlook with Dr Asim’s arrest – and all that continues to flow from it.

But it’s not as if the police force has in any way been upgraded or improved to make a difference in interior Sindh all the while the Rangers have kept Karachi busy. Sadly, police suffers from a poor reputation across the country; and with good reason. A good measure of their incompetence was presented in Punjab in April, when they attempted to dislodge the notorious chotu gang. That the force was subsequently humiliated and the military had to be called in is, of course, old news by now. But it gives a good example of the ineffectiveness of the police. And Rangers, effective as it is, should restrict its role to security and stay out of the political realm. Not only will indulging in politics slow down the Operation, but also play into the hands of the elements it is meant to apprehend or eliminate.

3 COMMENTS

  1. Karachi deployees some 35000 personnel from Sind Police. Half of them serve the VIPs and the other half is part of the crime themselves. If not so how could Awais be kidnapped in broad day light and Sabri killed ? And the Police has no clue. If it were not for the Army, Awais would have to stay with the kidnappers for years like YRG's and Taasir's son. With opposition from the stake-holders, the corrupt political parties, the Rangers have restored peace in the city which was hostage to MQM for three decades. Now again opposition from the ruling party because the Rangers nabbed criminls from the 90 of PPP, Larkana, and hiding in a Wadera's house. All know that criminals, wanted by Police commit crimes in Karachi and flee in the interior where they are more safe in the VIP houses. Irony is Provincial government has to take dictation from Dubai even if want to take a cup of tea. Why not use the other half of PPP available in Pakitan – Bilawal, who is also a PPP Chairman. Now is a tug-of-war between a Provincial advisor and a Central Minister ! Democracy at it's worst.

    • Not quite. There are more from MQM and they have started to be arrested by the Rangers. Once the tussle between the Sind Government and Rangers is settled, either way, may and more arrests are expected.

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