Rangers policing powers: Sindh on warpath against Centre

Provincial cabinet rejects 60-day extension to paramilitary forces by federal government

KARACHI:

The controversy over Rangers’ policing powers in Karachi came to a head on Wednesday when the Sindh cabinet rejected the federal government’s decision to extend the paramilitary force’s powers for 60 days.

The move came a day after the interior ministry rejected the provincial government’s summary seeking 60-day extension for the Rangers but with ‘limited powers’. A ministry spokesman said the paramilitary force – which has been engaged in a targeted operation in the port city since September 2013 – is operating under the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997, which is a federal law, so there can be no changes in the law through a resolution passed by any provincial assembly.



The Sindh Assembly adopted a resolution on December 16 to limit the Rangers’ sphere of action to cases of targeted killing, extortion, kidnapping for ransom and sectarian killing. The force was restrained from placing in preventive custody any person not directly involved in terrorism, for which it was to seek a written approval from the chief minister.

On Wednesday, however, the Sindh cabinet termed the federal government’s move to extend the Rangers’ powers ‘unconstitutional’. It said the move was aimed at ‘degrading’ the assembly’s resolution and encroaching upon the provincial administration’s powers.

“We shall not let the federal government encroach upon our powers and will again write to them to honour the assembly’s resolution,” Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah reportedly told the members, all of whom supported his stance.





Among the attendees were ministers, advisers, special assistants and coordinators with portfolios. There was no media briefing on the meeting, but official sources claimed that another letter has been sent to the federal government, raising objections over the decision on Rangers’ powers.

A cabinet member said the provincial home department would not issue the notification of the federal government’s decision. He said Sindh would not budge from its earlier stance to give the Rangers powers to take action only in cases of extortion, kidnapping for ransom and targeted and sectarian killings.

“All [cabinet] members have concurred that the federal government has no other option but to abide by the Sindh Assembly’s resolution,” said CM’s law adviser Murtaza Wahab.

The provincial administration had not sent a summary to the federal government on Rangers’ powers, but a letter to inform the Centre about the Sindh Assembly’s decision, he added. “Sindh’s stand is clear. It will accept the Rangers powers only in the purview of the Constitution and the opinion of the august house.”



According to the rules, said the law adviser, the federal government should have expressed reservations rather than extending the powers of the paramilitary force. “We have written to the federal government again and would wait for its response before taking any action.”

Some sources claimed that most of the cabinet members were against dragging the issue to the court and wished that the matter be taken up with the prime minister again.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 24^th, 2015.