newspapers of Karachi on the request of the Orangi DSP about six men who had went from the jurisdictions of the Orangi Town and Mominabad police stations.
They included Fawad, 26, son of Shamsur Rehman, missing since January 6; Ibrar Ahmed, 40-45, son of Mohammed Ismail, missing since January 20; Syed Tahir Ali, 38, son of Syed Barkat Ali, missing since January 16; Haider Ali, 32, son of Ali Haider, missing since December 1, 2014; Syed Nadir Shah, son of Syed Ahmed Shah, missing since January 1, 2014; and Ahsanullah, son of Abbas Khan, missing since November 21, 2014.
In the notices, it was claimed that these men had been picked up “unidentified Rangers personnel”.
The notices immediately sparked a controversy and the provincial government and police high-ups immediately distanced themselves from their publication maintaining that they had nothing to do with it.
‘Conspiracy against Rangers’
A Rangers spokesperson described the notices as a conspiracy against the paramilitary force and an attempt to malign its reputation.
“A vicious strategy has been chalked out to create a negative public opinion about Rangers despite their services for Karachi and affect the ongoing operation against criminals in the city.”
The spokesperson said the allegation in the notices was completely baseless and Rangers had launched an investigation into the matter. Besides, he added, Rangers reserved the right to take legal action in this connection.
‘Culprits will be exposed’
The chief minister said the notices were an attempt to drive a wedge between Rangers and police and the people responsible for them would soon be exposed.
Talking to reporters at the shrine of Hazrat Abdullah Shah Ghazi during the closing ceremony of the saint’s urs, Qaim Ali Shah also said an accountability drive should be conducted across the country, not only in Sindh.
‘Info dept not responsible’
The provincial information minister defended his department saying that it only worked like a post office when it came to the publication of government advertisements and notices.
“The information department doesn’t change the content of government departments’ advertisements and notices,” Nisar Ahmed Khuhro told reporters at a book launch organised at the Karachi Press Club.
“Whoever is found guilty of acting in bad faith, they will surely be penalised,” he added.
He said government departments should scrutinise the content of their advertisements and notices before sending them to the information department for publication. “The notices were forwarded to the information department with a covering letter signed by an SSP-ranked police officer. That officer was responsible for scrutinising the content of the notices.”