War of nerves between PPP and establishment

ISLAMABAD: Chief minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah has been provided by Rangers a list of around two dozen politicians, members of the bureaucracy, police officers and others who are allegedly involved in “financial terrorism” that is seen as the major contributing factor behind crime and terrorism in Karachi and Sindh, it is learnt.
Informed sources said that the military establishment and the Rangers want the PPP government in Sindh to choke all the sources of finances for terrorists, mafias and criminal gangs in Karachi for which those harbouring these mafias, whether in the government, amongst politicians or in the bureaucracy, should be fixed without any fear and favour.
The sources said that upon receiving the Rangers’ brief that includes the names of some PPP leaders/ministers and MQM leaders besides others and members of bureaucracy and police, the Sindh chief minister approached the party’s top leadership for consultation. However, it was decided to keep the things moving as they are.
Instead of opting for a direct confrontation with the establishment, these sources said that the PPP leadership has decided to turn their guns against the federal government and Punjab also for which some provincial and federal PPP leaders are assigned the task.
It is said that in the last apex committee meeting, the chief minister had agreed to constitute a committee to look into the allegations regarding involvement of ministers, politicians, bureaucrats in serious financial crimes, which directly or indirectly contribute to terrorism and other grave crimes.
However, after the chief minister had consulted his party leadership, it was decided not to proceed against ministers, politicians and senior members of the bureaucracy on the basis of Rangers’ complaint.
The PPP, it is said, has decided to counter the issue politically, for which pressure would be exerted on the prime minister in a bid to stop the establishment from focusing on the economic crime in the city. According to one source, the PPP leadership will resist establishment’s action against any politician or members of bureaucracy who have been loyal with the party and its leadership.
In a recent interview with Geo, the PPP co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari had plainly conveyed to Corps Commander Sindh that both the military and the politicians should focus on their respective jobs instead of trying to do each others’ job.
The Sindh government, the sources said, does not want the Rangers to go beyond law and order, terrorism and pure crime. Corruption, land grabbing and other white-collar crime, the PPP leadership believes, should be left for the government to tackle.
However, the Rangers in the brief to the Chief Minister insisted that the corrupt money and the white-color crime play a major role in financing the terrorists and terrorist outfits. Without choking the corruption money of Karachi, Rangers believe, terrorism and heinous crime could not be checked permanently.
According to a source the Thursday’s press release issued by the Rangers a few days after the apex committee meeting, was the result of the Sindh government’s failure to proceed against those involved in economic crimes in the city.
It is said that recently in an official meeting when a Rangers’ officer raised the issue of alleged allotment of thousands of acres of land to a businessman, he was told by a minister to prove how this land allotment had any connection with terrorism.Rangers have conveyed to the Sindh government that only across-the-board action against those involved in economic crime could produce result.