Pakistan

Opposition protests against PPP-led govt in Sindh Assembly over Rangers’ powers extension

Members of opposition parties, including PTI, PML-F and PML-N, raise anti-government slogans during session

Web Desk December 14, 2015

Speaker Sindh Assembly chairing the session. PHOTO: APP

The Sindh Assembly session on Monday was adjourned amid chants by opposition parties protesting against the Pakistan Peoples Party-led Sindh government for not raising the issue of extending Rangers' special powers in the province.

Sindh Assembly speaker Agha Siraj Durrani adjourned the session till Tuesday morning.

The provincial assembly’s agenda for Monday listed the resolution on ratifying Article 147 of the Constitution, which would extend special powers for the paramilitary Rangers in province, on number 11.

To be or not to be: PPP devises strategy to deride Rangers in today’s session

Express News footage showed members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) raising slogans against the PPP.

Earlier, when the Assembly’s session began after a four-month hiatus the members of the opposition parties expressed their concerns over the Sindh government’s lack of interest in bringing a resolution to extend the policing powers of Rangers in the province.

The opposition members urged the speaker to let a resolution be passed in this regard, however, Durrani refused their pleas on the ground that there was no resolution in place on the assembly’s agenda for the day.

The provincial government is at loggerheads with the Rangers and has raised concerns over the paramilitary force’s actions in the province.

Meanwhile, talking to media in Karachi, provincial minister Nisar Khuhro said Sindh government had no intent to withdraw personnel of the law enforcement agency from the city.

The minister criticised ‘a ruckus and panic’ that he said was created in the assembly on Monday even before the resolution could be presented.

On Sunday night, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif stepped in to defuse the brewing controversy between the centre and Sindh over the extension of special powers to the Rangers. After returning from Turkmenistan, the prime minister called up Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah to discuss the matter.

PM steps in to resolve row over Rangers’ special powers

According to sources, Nawaz and Shah discussed the prevailing law and order situation in the province. Shah briefed the premier about his government’s grievances vis-à-vis actions of the paramilitary force. He also complained to the premier about Saturday’s statements of the federal interior minister, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan.

At a news conference Nisar had said that the Pakistan Peoples Party was “hampering [the] Karachi operation to save one person [Dr Asim Hussain]”. He also threatened to make public the joint investigation report and supposed video confession of Dr Asim, on whom the entire controversy appears to be centred.

COMMENTS (18)

Blithe | 8 years ago | Reply Ch nisar screwed up big time in trying to self promote himself in front of the media . Let the Sindh Parliement now make a call on the authority they will give parliment . Sad to see such a tasteless show by certain elements of pml n

Hameed | 8 years ago | Reply @ishrat salim: PS: Stop using Karachi port too, you can use Mumbai.

VIEW MORE COMMENTS

Hameed | 8 years ago | Reply @ishrat salim:

let the federal govt withdraw it completely and let Karachi go to dogs as it was before.

Sure, just stop taking 70 percent of revenue and 70 percent gas from Sindh too and Sindh can spend that on both its security and other facilities for its people. Nothing would make people of Sindh happier so please go ahead, do it at once.

ishrat salim | 8 years ago | Reply I think when the Sindh govt and its supporters are not interested to extend special power to the Rangers, let the federal govt withdraw it completely and let Karachi go to dogs as it was before.

ishrat salim | 8 years ago | Reply @Imran: This 90 days was part of PATA ( Pakistan Anti Terror Act ) which was passed from the Parliament, so it should not be made controversial and make the actual issue political and provincial, please.

feedback | 8 years ago | Reply @Wajahat: I agree with you, Rangers should stay because if there their stay is not extended, we start getting threats from terrorists of an attack on children of karachi right? Our poorest major of the Army gets killed on his cd 70? You know even two military police person got killed too. We should not remove rangers from karachi because the terrorists some how start complaining one way or the other. What a period!

Observer | 8 years ago | Reply This is the most unbelievable. The Sind government is admitting to their corruption by not extending the rangers terms. How can someone blatantly say that they do not want a government agency to probe and catch corruption. Isn't that an admission of guilt. It's like saying, we do not want the FBI in the United States because they interfere too much. Even the US President was facing impeachment on the Monica Lewinsky case and this was all guided by the agencies. So in this case, one provincial government is trying to take hostage an entire city just so that they can plunder more money. I always think, what is wrong with these people, during their government people were dying in 100's daily and all they could do was come on tv and give stupid remarks, the Rangers stopped all this and now these people want to drive them away just so they can eat more money. If this election is democratic, then I don't understand it where people are elected by paying illiterate people money and getting their votes by filling people in vans and taking them to election booths. The people who know good from bad or are socially aware hardly vote. How can democracy work in a country with this culture. So why doesn't the Army take over but not bend to the pressures of US and be afraid of sanctions. Ata Turk did it in Turkey, this is the only way out, the people of this country have no idea what is good for them. We are all pawns in the hands of the feudals.

feedback | 8 years ago | Reply Now Karachi schools are under threat, when ever these terrorists need a National Action Plan, anti terrorism courts or want rangers to control karachi, they either target a major over honda 125(the poorest major in army or shall is say the only major with a honda 125 in army) or kill a couple of military police officials or some students in an army public school. I wonder when these terrorist will stop over burdening the rangers and our beloved in khaki's with "sabaz hilali parcham"?

Wajahat | 8 years ago | Reply Please stop the nonsense. Action against terrorists and corrupts is being rightly taken and it is beneficial for all of us. Period.

Hameed | 8 years ago | Reply Sindh is being overtaken by forces from the bigger province under the guise of action against corruption. Everyone knows which bigger province dominated institution gets the most money without any accountability what so ever. Can anyone touch them? You can’t even speak against them without being declared a RAW agent.

Tipu | 8 years ago | Reply No agency should be allowed to use Gestapo styled tactics. There must be supervision. We have seen ISI becoming a state within the state. Don't create another monster.

Imran | 8 years ago | Reply Rangers don't need the powers to detain anyone for 90-days without any judicial supervision. The law itself is barbaric and does not belong to the civilized world. It must be struck down.

Hameed | 8 years ago | Reply

PTI, PML-F and PML-N

Stop misleading. MQM is the only real Sindh based opposition and they are not part of it.

Hameed | 8 years ago | Reply

PTI, PML-F and PML-N

This is no opposition. These are all Punjab based/related parties nothing to do with Sindh.

Jibran | 8 years ago | Reply PTI and PML-F are the B-teams of establishment. They will always dance to their tunes.

Saleem | 8 years ago | Reply Corrupt will do anything to save their. I won't blame these criminals but the people who keep electing these crooks. They rather be sitting in jails than in assemblies.

Shahid | 8 years ago | Reply Criminals are protesting! Unbelievable!

Hatim | 8 years ago | Reply The PPP will go to any lengths in order to save their ways of corruption.

Replying to X