Law and order: Corps Commander visits Rangers headquarters

KARACHI:

The corps commander of Karachi, Lieutenant General Naveed Mukhtar, visited the Rangers Headquarters on Thursday.

The visit came a day after Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah wrote a letter to the Rangers expressing his annoyance at their 'transgression of powers' that came from the multiple raids the paramilitary force had conducted at government offices.

According to an official statement, Rangers director-general Major General Bilal Akbar received Mukhtar, who paid a visit to the martyrs' memorial, laid a floral wreath and offered Fateha for the Rangers personnel who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

"The corps commander attended a detailed briefing on the law and order situation, the ongoing operation in the city and discussed other professional matters," said the statement. He was also given a briefing on the security measures taken by Sindh Rangers for the holy month of Ramazan. Mukhtar appreciated the Rangers' efforts in bringing back normality to the city. Security around the Rangers Headquarters remained strict during the meeting.

The Rangers officials have yet to confirm whether or not the two officials discussed the letter that the chief minister had written to the Rangers DG.

Meanwhile, the Sindh government has also sent a copy of their letter to federal interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, stating that the deployment of Rangers in Karachi was requisitioned under Article 147 of the Constitution and Clause 1 of Subsection 3 of Section 4 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, to prevent terrorist acts or scheduled offences.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 19^th, 2015.