Unhappy forces: Rangers demand for power irks MQM

The Sindh Assembly session on Friday was cancelled due to MPA Altaf Unar's death.

KARACHI: The performance of the paramilitary force came under scrutiny during Friday's session following the Rangers director-general's recent statement that the Rangers have limited power and resources.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) lawmakers questioned the perks and privileges received by Rangers officials and their performance in dealing with the law and order situation of Karachi. "Sindh is spending a huge chunk of the budget on this force, who are involved in extrajudicial killings of innocent people," said MQM MPA Dr Arshad Ali Vohra, while offering Fateha for a party worker whose bullet-riddled body was found near Nooriabad a few days ago. "Yawar Abbas was arrested by Rangers personnel in November last year. Despite our protests, they did not disclose his whereabouts and have now dumped his body, which bears torture and bullet marks."

Even though the assembly was adjourned due to the death of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) MPA Altaf Unar, the 40 minutes of proceedings meant for Fateha were spent on allegations against the Rangers.

The leader of the opposition Faisal Subzwari was the first to touch upon the subject. "Out of the 45 missing persons of our party, five have been shot dead by Rangers in incidents of extrajudicial killings," he said. "Not only this, but they unceremoniously buried our workers, claiming that they could not be identified."

Subzwari added that the families of the missing persons have filed petitions in the Sindh High Court and have also approached other higher authorities but it has all been in vain. MQM's Bilqees Mukhtar then demanded that law enforcers should present the workers before the court if there are any allegations against them.

Later, speaking to media, MQM's Ashfaq Mangi said that the Rangers director general was 'misguiding' the people by claiming to have no resources or powers.

"Recently, the provincial government issued Rs900 million to law enforcement agencies in the name of internal security allowance. That amount has been given out of the budget," he said, adding that Rangers personnel arrest MQM workers and then detain them for 90 days but the Rangers want to portray themselves in an innocent light by claiming to have no powers.

During the session, members not only requested for Fateha for the deceased but also asked the maulvi to pray for the Pakistan cricket team to win their world Twenty20 match against India.

Dreams come true

PPP leader Manzoor Wassan claimed that the MQM will be joining the provincial government within the next four or five days. "Both major parties of Sindh should work together for the betterment of its people," he said, speaking to the media outside the Sindh Assembly.  "I had already dreamt it, but people were laughing at me.  Finally, my dream has come true."

Larkana incident

Minority community MPAs belonging to the PPP, MQM and Pakistan Muslim League - Functional (PML-F) raised the issue of the attack on the Dharam Shala in Larkana. The members requested the provincial government to provide protection to minorities and their places of worship and asked them to take action against those involved in the incident.

Maqsood Qureshi

PML-F MPA Mehtab Akbar Rashdi, PPP's Nasir Shah and MQM's Muhammad Yousuf Shahwani requested for Fateha of Jiye Sindh Qaumi Mahaz leader Maqsood Qureshi, who was killed in Naushero Feroz. The members also demanded a thorough judicial inquiry into the matter.

Later, Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said that the government would consider the option of a judicial inquiry into the killings of Sindhi nationalists.  "It is a conspiracy against the provincial government," said Memon. "Some elements don't want peace in Sindh and we will now expose them."

The agendas that were deferred

The questions of the industries department, the privilege motion moved by Pakistan Peoples Party MPA Khairunisa Mughal against Mirpurkhas director education and the adjournment motion tabled by Muttahida Qaumi Movement MPA Poonjo Mal and Zubair Ahmed on the Tharparkar tragedy were on the agenda but all of them had to be deferred.

“There is a practice in the house that after the demise of a sitting MPA, the first session of the assembly is adjourned without taking up any business,” said Dr Sikandar Mandhro, requesting the speaker for an adjournment. On his demand, Durrani adjourned the proceeding till Monday.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 22^nd, 2014.