Government in conundrum over Rangers powers

Law makes it mandatory to ratify powers with assembly, making previous actions illegal

KARACHI:

The Sindh government found itself in a conundrum over the extension of Rangers’ special powers in the province given that its previous extensions on the deployment of the paramilitary force may be deemed illegal.

According to Article 147 of the Constitution under which the government extends the stay of the paramilitary force, the government can seek help from a federal institution so long as it is ratified by the provincial assembly within 60 days. As the recent issue of Rangers powers has been referred to the Sindh Assembly, it brought to light the fact that the previous extensions in deployment took place without ratification by the elected assembly.



In a meeting at the Sindh Assembly building on Wednesday, law officers, the law secretary and CM’s adviser on law sat with the advocate general and constitutional experts to discuss this issue. “The assembly will not ratify the Rangers special powers but the ratification will be about its deployment in the province, which is necessary after the 18th Amendment,” said a senior law officer of the government, adding that the Rangers had been given year-long extensions to stay in Sindh but the issue was never brought to the assembly, despite being a constitutional requirement.



“The extension of special powers is the domain of chief minister not the assembly,” he said. The government now intends to tackle this issue by ratifying the Rangers deployment and then adding some lines on the actual powers to be exercised by the paramilitary force.

The resolution allowing special powers to the Rangers is on the agenda as the Sindh Assembly meets today. However, the assembly secretary added that the session will be adjourned as per parliamentary tradition in view of the death of sitting MPA Jameel Bhurgari. All items on the agenda will be taken up on Friday.



Tweaks in powers

“The government is likely to insert a provision in the resolution [making it mandatory for the Rangers] to seek the chief minister’s permission before arresting politicians, lawmakers and high-profile personalities,” claimed an official privy to the developments.

Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah justified such manoeuvres by pointing out transgressions made by the paramilitary force. “We gave special powers to the Rangers to bring peace in the city by only taking action against terrorists and criminals,” he told the media on Tuesday. “But, unfortunately, the paramilitary forces have exceeded their authority by initiating the accountability of politicians and other people.”

Shah had said that they will not extend powers in haste and will take the issue to the house of elected representatives. He assured, however, that special powers will be extended.



Meanwhile, the Rangers spokesperson said they have no issues seeking permission from the chief minister but, he believed, it will not yield any results. “The chief minister and his government will be responsible if we fail to arrest high-profile targets,” he said.

Support or not

Except for the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, all opposition parties have decided to protest in and outside the assembly if the government places any conditions on Rangers powers. “We have moved a resolution but, unfortunately, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)government wants to bulldoze our resolution and wants to draft its own,” said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf MPA Khurram Sher Zaman. “We will protest if the Rangers are given conditional powers.” Zaman claimed that the PPP only wants to protect its corrupt ministers, some of whom have already left the country.

Pakistan Muslim League-Functional’s (PML-F) Nand Kumar added that they will devise a line of action with other opposition parties on PPP’s move to place conditions on Rangers powers. “Rangers are doing a great job but the incumbent provincial government, which has broken all the records of corruption, is afraid of action against its sitting ministers,” he said.



Apart from Rangers powers, a question-answer session with the Auqaf department, an announcement of government bills passed in the last session, an adjournment motion moved by PML-F’s Kumar on dilapidated roads in Sanghar district and presentation of some reports by standing committees are on the agenda.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 10^th,  2015.