Consultative meeting: ‘Sindh government will not bow to pressures’

Provincial govt to take up Rangers' powers issue with Prime Minister in Islamabad today

KARACHI: The Sindh government will not succumb to pressures from the federal government on the issue of Rangers powers and will take up issues with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif during a meeting in Islamabad today (Wednesday).

This was decided during a consultative meeting on Tuesday called by Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah with senior provincial ministers and constitutional experts, including Nisar Khuhro, Murad Ali Shah, Sikandar Mandhro, Murtaza Wahab and Maula Bux Chandio, regarding the ongoing dispute with the federal government on Rangers powers.

The meeting discussed various options in the light of the Sindh Assembly's resolution. Sources in the Chief Minister House said that the Sindh government will not succumb to pressures and will take up the issue before the Prime Minister today in Islamabad.



According to a Sindh government official, the paramilitary forces and federal departments such as the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) have no authority to interfere in the domain of the provincial government and before taking any action they are under an obligation to seek the CM's permission.

The Sindh government, after adopting the provincial assembly's resolution, recommended the federal government to give 60 days' special powers to Rangers with certain conditions but the federal interior ministry turned down the Sindh government's plea and issued a notification giving Rangers 60 days of fully fledged powers.



The actual powers assigned to Rangers were regarding targeted killings, extortion, kidnapping and sectarian killings. These four powers have been given by the provincial assembly to the Rangers.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Sindh information adviser Chandio said that the Sindh government will present its case before the PM. "We are not against the operation," he said. "We appreciate the efforts of the Rangers but the victimisation of political figures is not acceptable." The Rangers' four-month policing powers expired on December 6. The Sindh government refused to extend the powers through executive order and raised the issue in the provincial assembly by adopting a resolution.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 30^th, 2015.