- Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah extends Rangers’ special powers in Karachi for 90 days
- Says issue of special powers for Rangers in entire Sindh will be resolved in a couple of days
- Nisar hopes matter of policing powers for Rangers will be resolved soon as new CM has taken charge of his office
Newly sworn-in Chief Minister of Sindh Murad Ali Shah on Saturday signed the summary to extend special policing powers for the Sindh Rangers for 90 days in Karachi, as Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan expressed the hope that the paramilitary force will be given jurisdiction across the province within a couple of days.
According to the Sindh Home Department, a notification about extension in powers for the Rangers has been issued to the authorities concerned.
The Rangers’ special powers ended on July 19, and although the new chief minister signed the summary for extension just yesterday (July 30), the new notification said that these powers had been extended from July 20.
Former president and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari had, in a party meeting in Dubai last Sunday, given approval for the long overdue decision of extension to the Rangers’ special power in Karachi.
The summary for the extension of Rangers’ policing powers had been lying with former chief minister Qaim Ali Shah, but it did not get signed, as the PPP leadership had not approved it.
Earlier upon his arrival at the Chief Minister’s House, new Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah was given the guard of honour by the police. Murad, the 27th chief minister of the province, took oath on Friday after he secured 88 votes in the Sindh Assembly.
CM SAYS RANGERS’ POWER ISSUE TO BE RESOLVED SOON:
The Sindh chief minister, while talking to media at the Quaid’s mausoleum, said that the issue of special powers to Rangers in Sindh would be resolved in a couple of days.
Murad Ali Shah had come to the Qauid’ mausoleum along with his cabinet members to offer fateha.
Earlier on Saturday, nine ministers, four each advisers and special assistants took oaths of their office(s) at the Governor’s House. Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan had administered the oath.
The ministers who took the oath included Dr Sikandar Mandhro, Makhdoom Jamiluz Zaman, Nisar Khuhro, Mahtab Hussain Dahar, Jam Khan Shoro, Suhail Anwar Sial, Sardar Ali Shah, Shamim Mumtaz and Mukesh Kumar Chawla.
The advisers and special assistants include Saeed Ghazi, Murtaza Wahab, Maula Bux Chandio, Asghar Junejo, Khato Mal, Erum Khalid, Dr Sikandar Shoro and Syed Ghulam Shah.
NISAR PINS HOPES ON NEW CHIEF MINISTER AS REGARDS RANGERS’ STAY IN SINDH:
In Islamabad, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan expressed the confidence that the Rangers’ stay in Sindh with special powers would be extended within a couple of days.
Nisar, while addressing a news conference in Taxila, hoped that the matter would be resolved soon as the new chief minister had taken the charge of his office in Sindh.
The minister said the Rangers enjoyed full support of the federal government which, according to him, would facilitate the paramilitary force to complete its job of establishing complete peace in Karachi. He hoped that the Sindh government would play its due role in this respect.
Nisar however said it was a matter of concern that the extension in Rangers’ powers was made controversial every time, recalling that the Karachi operation was launched after consultations with the Sindh government on the orders of the Supreme Court.
He said the Rangers personnel had restored peace in Karachi to a great extent while sacrificing their lives during the past two and a half years. He also questioned how the paramilitary force could be expected to deliver when it would not have the required powers.
Nisar, to a question, said the visa agreement with Kuwait signed in 2013 had been suspended as the accord was not being honored by the other side. He said the visa issuance system had been improved and it was for the first time in the history of Pakistan that international airlines were being fined on violation of rules.
