Overspending?: Sindh pays out of its own pockets to keep the Rangers in town

Responsibility of monitoring force’s performance lies with Sindh govt, says Chaudhry Nisar.

ISLAMABAD:

If the current law and order scenario in Karachi is any indication of how the Rangers in Sindh are performing, then many Karachi’ites would agree that their presence in the city hasn’t played a positive role - if any. Yet, the Sindh government spends Rs115.7 million on the paramilitary force every month.

These figures were shared by the Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan with the National Assembly on Thursday.

Formed primarily to secure Pakistan’s Eastern border, majority of Rangers’ personnel were later handed to Sindh provincial government to assist police in maintaining law and order in Karachi and other parts of Sindh in early 90s. The border security force’s number, however, has kept on increasing with the deteriorating law and order conditions in the province.



The total number of Rangers personnel deployed in Sindh is 24,070, out of which 17,921 are at the disposal of the Sindh government, according to Nisar. “The government spends Rs115.7 million on the operations of Rangers’ personnel in Sindh every month,” the minister told legislators in a written reply to a question by Pakistan Peoples Party member, Nafisa Shah.

The minister said monitoring the performance of the Rangers was the responsibility of the Sindh government.



The Rangers in Sindh have been given powers to conduct raids and arrest elements suspected of involvement in criminal or terrorist activities and investigate them. Many people from Karachi and Sindh, however, have recently questioned the paramilitary force’s performance in maintaining law and order. Following the death of Sarfaraz Shah by a Rangers’ personnel, which was captured on camera, concerns have also been raised over the recent alleged extrajudicial killings which took place in June and July in Karachi by members of the force.

Training and performance

The minister told the assembly that to enhance the capacity and performance of the Pakistan Rangers, the government has put them through an intensive Anti-Terrorist and Commando training cycle.

There was an effective check on the Rangers personnel to increase their efficiency, he added. The government has also introduced physical agility and combat efficiency systems. Besides trainings and checking mechanisms, the Rangers deployed at borders have been directed to strengthen border outposts, observation towers and ring bunds.

The house was told that the Rangers have also increased vigilance to stop smuggling of illicit arms and to stop intrusion of anti-state elements. “The government provides basic health, education and other civic facilities to the families of the troops to make them at ease to perform their duties with full devotion and mental contentment,” said Nisar.

Apart from Sindh, 19,211 Rangers have been deployed at the Punjab borders.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 16^th, 2013.