Sindh Assembly resolution trims Rangers’ special powers

KARACHI: Days after the deadline of Rangers paramilitary force’s special police-like powers expired, Sindh Assembly on Wednesday adopted a resolution, extending its stay in Karachi and the province but with limited powers than before amid uproar from the opposition benches.

According to the resolution, the Sindh Rangers will have to seek the chief minister’s approval before taking any action against government institutions and personalities. This condition however would not apply while arresting criminals and terrorists.

Opposition parties strongly protested against the resolution tabled by Sindh Home Minister Sohail Anwar Sial and tore apart copies of the bill chanting “no corruption no”.

The stay of the paramilitary force, which has been carrying out an operation against criminals and terrorists along with police in Karachi for the last two years, was however extended for further 12 months.

Sindh government and federal government were at loggerheads over the issue of extending Rangers’ powers for the past two weeks with Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali khan and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leaders including Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Khursheed Shah issuing harsh statements against each other.

Opposition parties in Sindh including PTI, PML-Functional and MQM along with various traders, builders and industrialists of Karachi had also been taking the provincial government to task for delaying the matter of extending Rangers’ powers.

Speaking to the media following the passage of the bill in Sindh Assembly today, opposition leaders Khurram Sherzaman of PTI, Shahryar Mehar of PML-F and Sardar Ahmed of MQM strongly criticized the PPP government for curbing the powers of the paramilitary force, calling it an action to protect their corruption.

They said the opposition would never allow the Sindh government to get away with this and protest until previous powers of Rangers were restored.