Rangers powers: Not yet decided to move SC against extension, says Naek

Says legal aspects discussed in meeting with Zardari

DUBAI: The Pakistan Peoples Party’s legal wizard Farooq H Naek on Sunday ruled out possibility of moving the apex court against the federal government’s unilateral decision to extend the paramilitary Rangers special powers in Karachi.

Speaking to a private news channel from Dubai, Naek said though he has consulted PPP Co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari over the legal aspects of the extension the two men have not yet decided their next move.

The PPP-led Sindh government has been wrangling with the federal government over the Rangers’ sphere of action in the commercial hub of the country since earlier this month, when the special powers granted to the paramilitary force to purge the city of criminals expired.

The interior ministry has, however, rejected Sindh’s request for conditional policing powers for Rangers and issued a notification extending the paramilitary force’s authority under a previous arrangement.

“We also discussed other political, legal and administrative matters during the meeting,” Naik added.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 28^th, 2015.