KARACHI/ISLAMABAD: On the request of the Sindh provincial government, the federal government on Wednesday extended the special policing powers of the Rangers paramilitary force in Karachi for 90 days, said an interior ministry notification.
A second notification was also issued by the federal ministry, extending the Pakistan Rangers deployment in Sindh province for another year for the paramilitary force to continue to discharge functions and assist the Sindh Police in the maintenance of law and order within the province.
"Pursuant to the request made by the Home department, government of Sindh, dated 1st August, 2016 and in continuation of this Ministry's Notification No.9/1/95-R (Sindh) dated 9th May, 2016 the powers conferred upon Pakistan Rangers (Sindh) in Karachi Division under clause (i) of sub section-3 of section-4 of Anti Terrorism Act, 1997, (XXVII of 1997), are extended for another period of 90 days with effect from 20th July, 2016," said the notification extending the force’s special policing powers in Karachi.
The terms of both special policing powers of the Sindh Rangers in Karachi under the Anti-Terrorism Act and the stay of the paramilitary force in the province in aid of civil administration and the police had ended on 19 July, 2016.
Previously, the Sindh government had extended in May 2016 the special policing powers of the Sindh Rangers in Karachi for 77 days while the term of stay of the Rangers in the province in aid of the civil administration and police had been extended for a year in July 2015.
Sindh government’s 'conditions' rejected
The notifications were issued after newly elected Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah signed the letter to the interior ministry for extending the stay of the Sindh Rangers in the province to extend their special policing powers.
According to reports from sources, the Sindh government had also sent a list of 15 conditions limiting the Rangers' powers to operate without the permission of the Sindh government.
But, speaking on the Geo News programme Aaj Shahzaib Khanzada Kay Saath, Law Adviser to CM Sindh Murtaza Wahab said that he had not yet received a copy of the official notifications but only learnt about them from media reports.
Wahab denied that any such conditions had been sent by the Sindh government, claiming that federal interior ministry had accepted the provincial government's request in letter and spirit.
The interior ministry notifications ended a long-running row between the Sindh government, federal government, and the Rangers over the issue of the force’s stay and policing powers in the province.
Apart from straining relations between the Sindh government and the Rangers, the lingering issue regarding the stay and special powers of the Sindh Rangers also strained relations between the provincial authorities belonging to the PPP government and the interior minister in Islamabad as the latter repeatedly called for immediate extension of the special powers of the Sindh Rangers for the sake of the continuity of the ongoing targeted operation in Karachi against terrorists and lawless elements.