NATO supply route blockade: Rangers asked to take possession of US cargo

Paramilitary force has acquired a yard at Karachi’s Port Qasim to store sensitive military hardware and ammunition.

ISLAMABAD: The paramilitary rangers has started taking possession of highly sensitive US cargo stranded in Pakistan following the blockade of the Nato supply route by Pakistan in protest against the November 26 air strikes that killed two dozen Pakistani border guards.

Sources told Express News that Pakistan Rangers has been directed by ‘high authorities’ to take over the cargo containing military hardware and ammunition till the government makes a decision about the re-opening of Nato supply route.

Pakistan Rangers is said to have acquired a yard, namely Mega 6, at Karachi’s Port Qasim for this purpose. “We have acquired a suitable place at Port Qasim where the sensitive cargo will be stored for the time being,” a senior official told Express News.

Sources said the National Logistic Cell (NLC) was earlier tasked to keep the US military hardware and ammunition into its custody. But later on the responsibility was assigned to Pakistan Rangers.

Sources in the Rangers confirmed to Express News that as soon as any vehicle loaded with US cargo appears on Superhighway they take it into their custody. “After taking possession of the cargo we transport it to the Port Qasim Mega 6 yard,” a senior official said.

So far, sources say, Pakistan Rangers have taken possession of as many as 250 cargo units whereas the paramilitary force has been directed to keep an eye on nearly 3,256 more cargo units stranded in Pakistan after the blockade of Nato supply route.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 31^st, 2011.