LAHORE: The Punjab government has approved an extension in the deployment of Rangers in the province for another 60 days, chief minister’s spokesperson Dr Shahbaz Gill said Friday.
“Rangers will continue to play their role for the maintenance of peace along with other law enforcement agencies,” Gill said in a statement issued here.
Earlier in June, the caretaker provincial government had also approved a 60-day extension in the Rangers’ deployment.
It had requisitioned five companies of the Rangers for a period of 60 days (two months) to assist police and the counter-terrorism department (CTD) for hunting down terrorists, their facilitators and proscribed organisations across the province.
Out of the five Rangers companies, two are deployed in Dera Ghazi Khan and one in Attock, while the remaining two are kept in reserve to hunt down terrorists when and where required in the province.
Rangers have been deployed in the province under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997 for joint intelligence-based operations (IBOs).
They have been given powers of police officers under Section 5 of the ATA and are authorised to have cases registered like the CTD officers; also having a legal cover for all other actions they take during and after operations.
