ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif gave a loud and clear message to the Sindh government during his Karachi visit that there is no going back on the extension of the same old powers of the Rangers for continuing operation against targeted killers, extortionists, kidnappers for ransom and mafias in the mega city.
In his own style, he snubbed Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah and his government when he spoke at a function of the top business body.
He particularly congratulated the Director General of the Sindh Rangers, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the chief secretary for improving the situation in Karachi, but made no mention of the ‘captain’ of the campaign or the provincial government in his laudatory remarks.
On almost all previous occasions, he had made it a point to name the captain while admiring the achievements of the Karachi operation.
The omission was apparently deliberate in view of the highly uncharitable statements of the chief minister, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal and others at Benazir Bhutto’s death anniversary congregation in Garhi Khuda Bux on Sunday.
There, instead of paying tributes to the deceased, they mainly lambasted the prime minister and his party and accused them of political victimisation of their party by implementing the National Action Plan (NAP).
The prime minister intentionally did not include in his schedule of the Karachi visit a meeting with Qaim Ali Shah, who was eager for a discussion on the question of extension of full powers of the Rangers by the Interior Ministry, disregarding the recommendation of the Sindh government. Also, no usual deliberations were planned on the Karachi operation.
While he held no meeting with Qaim Ali Shah, he said at the businessmen’s function what he would have stated had he met him.
Had discussions on the Karachi operation been planned during the prime minister’s visit, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan would have been included in his delegation. Besides, Chief of Army Staff might have also been invited to such a session.
Nawaz Sharif’s programme was confined to getting a presentation on power project at the Port Qasim Authority with the objective of accelerating its completion, and address to the businessmen.
He was displeased that despite the fact he had asked the chief minister for more than once before the Sindh assembly passed a resolution imposing conditions on the Rangers’ powers not to do so but Qaim Ali Shah went ahead with his plan on strict directions from his chief, Asif Ali Zardari.
He asked the chief minister to come to Islamabad for a comprehensive discussion on the Rangers’ powers.What had also deeply irked Nawaz Sharif was the lavish attack by Qaim Ali Shah and PPP leaders on the interior minister as if this federal cabinet member is the sole authority on extending full powers of the Rangers.
Obviously, Chaudhry Nisar is in no position to take any independent decision without consulting the prime minister. Exerting pressure on and singling out the interior minister is incomprehensible.
His only crime is that he speaks frankly and does not mince words in articulating the federal policy.Chaudhry Nisar had just responded to the denunciation of the Rangers by the Sindh ministers and had defended the force, which was being made controversial for carrying out the operation in the way disliked by the PPP.
Although he had not taken the lead in hyping tensions, it became impossible for the Sindh government to swallow his assertions. The PPP stalwarts continue to refer to them even after the lapse of one week. The interior minister is receiving all this with unusual patience.
Apart from the laudatory remarks for those who are delivering in the Karachi operation, what else the prime minister said about the targeted campaign left no doubt regarding his resolve and determination to carry it on at the same pace.
“We are focusing our attention on Karachi that will not diminish till the completion of the job,” he said.He told the top businessmen that the difference in the Karachi situation now than what it was three years ago was crystal clear.
Since there are no takers of the stand of the Sindh government and the PPP, Zardari has decided not to knock at the doors of a superior court to plead that the interior ministry violated the Constitution by not fully agreeing to the recommendations of the provincial administration.
It is no secret that every individual or institution that matters is averse to the Sindh government’s initiative to subject the Rangers’ powers to the conditions through the provincial assembly resolution.
All want that the force must continue the operation in the same fashion in which it has been conducting since September 2013 as they don’t wish to lose the fruits gained by the successful campaign.
