Sindh Advisor on Information and Archives Moula Bux Chandio said on Thursday that law and order situation in Karachi was improving significantly soon after new Sindh chief minister had assumed the charge of his office.
“The interior ministry has approved a 90-day extension in the special policing powers of Sindh Rangers in Karachi and has also issued notification in this regard. There is sharp decline in target killing, extortion, robberies and dacoities in Karachi after which people are passing their social and business life with peace,” Chandio said in a statement.
The advisor said the Sindh government was fully empowered under the 18th constitutional amendment to take decision for maintaining law and order; however, consultation with the federal government was required which had been fulfilled.
He said: “The Rangers and police will now continue operation against terrorism, extortion and target killing, and no criminal will be let move freely, he said. “The Rangers’ actions in Karachi are in accordance with the National Action Plan which was approved by major political parties.”
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah directed the provincial law department to appoint 25 special prosecutors on urgent basis so that newly established anti-terrorism courts could function smoothly and efficient prosecution in ATC cases could be streamlined, said the adviser.
He said the Sindh government had been working for the capacity-building of the police force through training centers. The police have also been equipped with modern sophisticated weapons. The Sindh government controls police, while Rangers was controlled by the federal government as it was a federal paramilitary force, he added.
He said: “Some political parties are conducting politics on Rangers affairs and are mixing politics and Rangers issues which is a bad omen. Now Rangers have been given special powers by the Sindh government; therefore, no politics on Rangers will be allowed.”
He said the chief minister’s top priority was to provide peace to people belonging to all segments of the society and all schools of thought. Everything will improve when peace continues to thrive, he said. The chief minister has directed the cabinet members and top bureaucrats to resolve public problems on priority basis, he added.
Chandio said that the PPP believes in peace and stability and that is why it is a federal entity. “The PPP wants strong federation and strong provinces as per the constitution. We want that the federal government should stay away from interfering into Sindh government’s constitutional powers and cooperate with it so that socio-economic development could make significant progress,” he said.
