Crowd control role of Rangers challenged

Petition filed in SHC; minister cautions against blaming Rangers before probe

Karachi  

The deployment of paramilitary Rangers during protests of civil society, trade unions, lawyers and media persons was challenged in the Sindh High Court on Thursday.

The challenge came in the form of a petition that a lawyer filed in the high court following the deaths of two protesting Pakistan International Airlines employees who were killed during a demonstration against the government’s privatisation plan for the national flag-carrier.

The petitioner, Siddiq Mirza, said the federal government deployed paramilitary soldiers to disperse the protesters who were agitating the government move to privatise the national airline. He noted that during the protest, two PIA employees lost their lives and several others suffered injuries when someone resorted to firing and police and Rangers used batons to disperse the crowd. 

He said the PIA workers’ joint action committee had accused Rangers of killing the two employees, Syed Inayet Raza and Saleem Akbar.  

Mirza said protesting employees were treated as terrorists and the Rangers had been used by the federal government against the protesters.

He was of the view that action taken by the respondent authorities against the employees was without lawful authority, as the paramilitary troops had been deployed in Karachi by the interior ministry on the request of the provincial government with the objective of acting against terrorists and their collaborators and facilitators under the Section 7(6) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.

The petitioner stated that it would be in public interest to decide whether the Rangers could be deployed at legitimate protests. 

He further argued that there was no law which empowered the interior ministry and the DG Rangers to deploy the force to disperse citizens, lawyers, media persons and employees of an organisation protesting for their employment. 

He requested the court to permanently restrain the provincial and federal governments from calling and deploying the civil armed forces during such protests, and declare that the act of the Rangers personnel against the PIAC employees was without any lawful authority.

Citing the federal interior ministry, the chief secretary and the DG Rangers as respondents, the requested the court to pass appropriate orders for proper administration and protection of the human rights of the citizens as defined and recognised in the constitution.

‘No blame game please’

Sindh Senior Education Minister Nisar Ahmed Khuhro urged protesters on Thursday to not pin the deaths of three Pakistan International Airlines’ (PIA) employees on the paramilitary force before an inquiry into the incident was conducted.

Employees of the PIA’s IT and communications department, Inayet Raza and Saleem Akbar respectively, died on Tuesday after shots were fired at a protest held against the government’s decision to privatise the airline.

Speaking at a ceremony held at the Government Girls’ Higher Secondary School to distribute stipends to female students, the minister claimed that the culprits would be handed down due punishment in accordance with the law once the inquiry was completed.

Condemning the incident, Khuhro said it was unfortunate that two people lost their lives and journalists providing coverage to the protest were injured.

Citing the provincial government’s school consolidation policy, he said the GGHSS was one of 1,065 schools to have been consolidated, and that 300 more students had been enrolled in the school since then.

Referring to the provincial government as ‘followers’ of Article 25-A - which calls for providing compulsory education to all children free of charge - Khuhro said the stipends were being given to appreciate female students to take up admissions in schools.

The stipends were being paid to girls of grade VI up to X, enrolled in government schools.

The government claims it would disburse Rs950 million among 350,000 female students girls this year.

Around 75,000 girls belonging to low transition Talukas were to receive Rs3,500, whereas Rs2,500 were said to be awarded to 275,000 girls of the rest of the Talukas. Around 344,160 girls were claimed to have received stipends last year.