Pakistan

Political parties demand answers on DG Rangers' organised crime report

MQM chief lashes out at army for interfering in police matters; Aitzaz demands proof; PTI asks reports be made public

Web Desk June 12, 2015

Aitzaz Ahsan. PHOTO: AFP

ISLAMABAD: Political parties across the spectrum demanded an open investigation and transparency into claims made by director general of Sindh Rangers on illegal rackets in Karachi.

Talking to reporters on Friday Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Aitzaz Ahsan on Friday said that this claim should be backed by solid proof.

“On what grounds was this estimate made,” Ahsan questioned, while talking to media outside Parliament House.

Read: Powerful patrons: Crime economy nurtures Sindh top dignitaries

He added that the Rangers and other security officials deployed in Karachi should investigate into this matter rather than making claims.

“A free and fair investigation should take place. The Sindh government is willing to cooperate,” he said.

Read: Apex Committee meeting: ‘Crackdown on financers, abettors of terrorists to begin soon’

Further, he said that the oil is smuggled from Balochistan to Sindh.

Earlier on Thursday, director general of Sindh Rangers, during the Sindh Apex Committee meeting said that an evil nexus of political leaders, civil servants and gang lords is involved in nurturing and sheltering organised crime and terrorism in Karachi.

Billions of rupees collected from extortion, land grabbing, targeted killings and rackets are flowing in to the coffers of some top personalities of the Sindh province, DG Rangers Major General Bilal Akbar said in the briefing.

PTI demands report be made public

Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) Shah Mehmood Qureshi demanded the federal government make public the Rangers report public, Express News reported.

“The public has unanimously given their mandate against terrorism so it is high time that the government choke the financiers of such heinous acts and eradicate terrorism," said Qureshi.

Qureshi went on to add that it was the first time top government officials, businessmen and bureaucrats were named in a high-profile report by the Rangers.

In reference to Punjab budget, Qureshi expressed that the government should not expect to generate revenues and meet targets before making Karachi — the financial hub of the country -- a peaceful place for business.

Altaf lashes out

Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain on Friday lashed out at the army for interfering in issues relating to the police and civil administration, saying the army was only responsible for the protection of the territorial boundaries of the country.

Talking on the occasion of the 37th Day of Inception of All Pakistan Muttahida Student Organization (APMSO), MQM chief said that the allegations regarding hides of the sacrificial animals and Zakat posted by the Sindh Rangers were baseless and unfortunate. He said that he had been working to gather proof against the most corrupt people of the country and their source of income.

COMMENTS (32)

ishrat salim | 9 years ago | Reply When almost same type of report was shown on TV Khara Sach & details subsequently published in the newspaper about a year ago, no one from Sindh govt PPP & MQM re-acted as the way they are re-acting today. This is beause, this time the Rangers have submitted the report to the CM along with a list of those people involved in the crime. 2) they are re-acting because, it is the Rangers ( Army ) who has submitted the report, which they know is authentic. They have no choice, but only making noise to play politics. Was it not the MQM who had always been vocal to handover Karachi to the Army. Now that operation is being spearheaded by the Rangers ( unlike in the past ), what does MQM wants them to do, smoke cigarette ?

IBN E ASHFAQUE | 9 years ago | Reply Rangers are lording over Karachi since more than 2 decades. They have illegally occupied government buildings meant for social purposes. Now they claim that billions are being looted from Karachi, which I do not dispute. However, the point is how much is their share in this loot? as only after more than two decades of lording over Karachi they are only now realizing that the poor Karachites are squeezed off billions.

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pervaiz | 9 years ago | Reply @Hassan, If you have any approach to Mr. Aitzaz Ahsin, then please ask him to provide solid evidences of rigging in Election 2013 during hearing of judicial commission hearing in SC. He is asking nothing before judicial commission but have a press conference daily regarding rigging in election where his wife lost seat to Shiekh Rohail Asghar by margin of 120000 votes.

abb | 9 years ago | Reply Very Good Sindh Rangers doing excellent work hopefully you will caught every crime minals**

Hassan | 9 years ago | Reply If Aitzaz Ahsan demanded proof from DG Rangers than what's wrong in it? Its very serious thing if a high profile official claimed such things he should also name the persons or parties behind all illicit fundings and I hope that DG Rangers have some solid proves about what he said to Apex committee as these is very serious matter and one should realise the sensitivity of this statement. We all are aware what DG has said is correct because we Karachiites witness in our daily life the land mafia, extortion, target killing, kidnapping for ransom and drugs businesses are flourishing in this city since long and now it is time to eliminate the nexus of all involved in this business to make Karachi a peaceful city the only thing required is a indiscriminate operation against all who are the main beneficiary of all evils no matter how powerful they are.

salman | 9 years ago | Reply MQM is certified mafia working on the behest of Indians. Their RAW openly funds TTP and BLA and provide them arms while RAW infiltrates into civilian mechanism through MQM in Karachi to spread violence and mafia.

Aliii | 9 years ago | Reply I want to give a shut up call to all politicians You Morons , get a life & stay away from business. Kuch Sherm Karo , Haya Karo !

mristan | 9 years ago | Reply If you live in Karachi you do not need any proof. you have to pay for continuous water supply. You have to pay protection money for everything. other wise you will be robbed mugged. All these goons are protected by political parties. What proof you need ?

reader | 9 years ago | Reply wow so with this sort of money we can be taking loans from the gangsters instead of IMF. zardari can replace IMF and give the loans now and make further profits.

Azi | 9 years ago | Reply @Vectra: You can stay vindicated or at least if you want to think such. When ttp people are hung you may not feel any sadness but same cannot be said of your RAW, they must be sad watching that investment 6 feet under. @ topic : I just wish for the day these poisonous politicians that have been on a greed spree in Pakistan like a plague be arrested even if it requires a martial law. Have had enough of these "innocent" billionaires.

raider | 9 years ago | Reply ranger and army with humble request plz culprits be corralled first in Sindh and then in Punjab, there exist land grabbers, extortionists, killers under political cover and portraying themselves as mainstream political stalwarts, they are actually democratic thugs, they are hand in glove with money launderers in Punjab and plz put them to their real destination, it is too better than wasting your energies against India, put first your house in order plz

bash gul | 9 years ago | Reply You don't need to know rocket science for proof. Just go to Karachi's Empress Market and see for yourself how the touts collect money from the push cart vendors. Roads are jammed with push carts and vendors, coz they are all patronized by the local police. The Rangers had to take action coz the police and govt officials are in hand and glove. Illegal parkings! That clearly shows that someone is making money. What about the model Ayan Ali? Carrying thousands of dollars. Thats just the tip of the iceberg. Thats the proof.

Karachite | 9 years ago | Reply It is good that at least we have someone with the moral strength to speak up. This is like cancer. There is total and complete collapse. When the Karachi and many parts of Sindh are run as Mafia's little wonder the crime rate will only rise, this makes the Taliban look like arc angels.Little wonder also Mr.N.S.is happy, Mr.A.Z. is happy. How very low can human beings get. When citizens with a conscience who speak up are shot and murdered, then others simply do not wish to stand for any cause, because law and order does not exist. Who in his right mind wants to become a "martyr". Why because of a few, do millions have to suffer, are we so weak, so incapacitated. Why do we have to have to bring everything to the notice of the army chief? very obviously this is what the article is really about.

Ch. Allah Daad | 9 years ago | Reply The criminal activities report compiled by Rangers about Karachi is 100% correct but its only one chapter of the whole story. The drugs and arms smuggled from lawless north and oil tankers from Iran pass through hundreds of check posts and we all know who controls these areas. The report compiled by Rangers is very encouraging but we don't know our real masters want to fix Karachi's problems or want to bring Karachi's mafia under their control as they have done successfully in lawless north and Baluchistan.

MSH | 9 years ago | Reply Nothing New....Who does not on earth that the PPP led by Zardari had done havoc with the country wealth.For the first time in the history of Pakistan corruption was patronized at government level.The Shurfa like Aitizaz Ahsan and Farooq Naek were there to protect Zardari,Gilani and Raja Rental .What ever they say in public is another matter but what guilt they must be feeling in their hearts for protecting the one who robbed Pakistan and made poor the poorest.

roshan | 9 years ago | Reply Army should try to stabilize Pakistan from the strategic assets they created to win war against India. Although Army itself surrendered and they thought that these terrorists (so called mujahid) will win war against India. Order your house first and than blame politicians. And all those who believe proof is not needed should consult a Psychiatrist before opening their beautiful mouth.

lkhan | 9 years ago | Reply that mafias run a black economy in Karachi, backed by the powers that be in Sindh is well known by all. It is time to take strong action against one and all who benefit from it.... very strong action to do away with the evil that prevails in Karachi and Sindh. It would be the beginning of a new era for the citizens who have suffered the worst kind of corruption for too many decades.

adeel | 9 years ago | Reply Much as I would like to believe what the Rangers have to say, I just get a bitter after-taste after digesting this information since the credibility of our Rangers has remained questionable over a period of 02 decades. We, as common people can only watch the game being played.

A-No.1 | 9 years ago | Reply Same situation in other provinces also. Will some authority please out them also.

Asim Ali | 9 years ago | Reply It is these criminal lawyers protecting the crimes of their masters. Masters who do not pay tax, have ill gotten money and their lawyers have the audacity to question security agencies

Ashfaq11 | 9 years ago | Reply Few days ago Altaf Hussain was asking the army to take control of Karachi now he is asking them to go protect borders and let the corrupt police manage crime

ibrahim | 9 years ago | Reply I think the army and the govt should man up and start executing people. I think start frm the top.

Hassan Shah | 9 years ago | Reply The Evil Nexus......

rahat | 9 years ago | Reply Proof for what? Proof for the 230bn figure or proof that extortion money, fitra and sacrificial hides are used to finance criminal and terror activities by the influential political figures and religious and political parties with private militias. You can question the figure but it's impossible that money thus collected is being used to create unrest in Karachi.

Tipu | 9 years ago | Reply For them. no proof will ever be sufficient. You just rob an entire election in broad daylight and despite of tens of videos, fake ID cards, and other proofs, there are still no evidences. You just kill 15 people in broad daylight 1 km outside your party's office in the most busiest cities of the world but there are simply no proofs for any indictment and you keep one of the most populous cities of the world hostage through illegal money and war gangs, but there are no proofs, ever! Such shameless people are they

Acorn Guts | 9 years ago | Reply How many times do you think they can dodge accountability citing lack of 'solid proof'?

pervaiz | 9 years ago | Reply everyone knows about this except Aitzaz, PPP & MQM.

Vectra | 9 years ago | Reply Now India's stand is vindicated,Internal terror funding is ruining pakistan rather than RAW as claimed which is also without evidence.Now this PPP members is also denying involvement citing no proof by pakisan rangers,Same thing India is also saying no proof but baseless allegations against RAW

Shahid | 9 years ago | Reply I hope your name is not in this list otherwise why should you clamour for evidence unnecessarily?

London Banker | 9 years ago | Reply First country in the world where a politician comes out and disputes a police / security forces chief. I can only imagine what would happen if one day Scotland Yard's chief got told by some senator it needs to show evidence. The world knows what a massive black economy Karachi is. Aitzaz Ahsan is one of the most dangerous people for Pakistan; great on the surface but rotten to the core inside as evidenced by his role during Imran's protests and now this. Time shows everything.

Rumormonger | 9 years ago | Reply When 2 billion rupees are recovered from a locked up house and another billion recovered from a boat near Thatta, and no one turns up to claim the money, Rs 230 billion is a very conservative estimate.

Ullo Bata | 9 years ago | Reply Sir, With all due respect, any other joke from your side? You Know it.....You Know it....Dont you?

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