Has Karachi operation stopped?

Over 72 hours have passed and the Sindh government has not yet decided to extend the powers of Rangers under Anti-Terrorism Act, of arrest and investigation. It is unlikely to extend these powers, due to some unresolved issues between Sindh and Centre, raising question whether Karachi operation has been stopped or confined to police only.

Conflicting statements from Sindh Home Department and Sindh Rangers on Monday indicated rising tensions, particularly after disappearance of three aides of former president Asif Ali Zardari. So, for all practical purposes, Karachi is back in the police control and Rangers role has been curtailed to pre-2013 position.

Beside the disappearance of Zardari's aides, he is also angry at the raids conducted on his friend's offices by the Rangers on the day of his arrival in Pakistan, after ending his year-long self-exile. Sources said he had termed the move an attempt to put pressure on him and with the disappearance cases, he is now convinced that certain forces wanted to create problems for him, his party leaders.

Sources said Mr Zardari, in particular, suspect that Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan is responsible for breaking the otherwise 'friendly relationship’, with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. No wonders why he and other PPP leaders mainly target Ch Nisar and not Sharif “for creating problems”.

This may not be totally unfounded as Sharif, after 2013 elections, wanted a cordial relationship with Mr Zardari and was not inclined to reopen certain inquiries and cases against him. However, after the Karachi operation was launched, NAB suddenly reopened some old inquires and cases which included some against the PPP leaders and close associates of Mr Zardari, sources said.

It will now be interesting to watch how the interior ministry would react to the Sindh decision to curtail Ranger's powers under ATA. Any direct interference from Islamabad could give political benefit to the PPP in Sindh, something which Mr Zardari and PPP would not mind as it could help them build a case against PML-N and the prime minister. The PPP has already announced a dharna throughout Sindh on April 30 against Centre. The day has been fixed keeping the possible announcement of Panama verdict prior to protest.

This situation has certainly raised uncertainty about the ongoing Karachi operation, and the establishment may not be happy as there have been some serious alert warnings, given to law-enforcement agencies about a terrorist attack.

Police have now taken over the security of Karachi University, from Rangers, which had been stationed there since 1989. Infect, it was the incident at the KU in 1989 when three PSF students had been shot dead allegedly by the MQM militants, which led to the deployment of Rangers in Karachi.

Thus, it clearly indicates that this time the Sindh government and Mr Zardari would follow the policy of tit-for-tat, both with the federal government as well as with the establishment. He has already hinted that his 'men' had not been picked up by any provincial intelligence agencies.

Though through a press release, the Sindh Home Department dispelled the impression, created by the media, that it had withdrawn duties and functions of Rangers, the statement did not mention about the powers given to Rangers under ATA, Section 4 (3), given after every 90 days, the last given in January, which ended on April 15.

Hours after the government statement, the reaction from the Rangers confirmed media's reports about the uncertainty prevailed over 'powers tussle’. Former president Asif Zardari, in one of his interviews, also hinted at the tussle and position taken by the Sindh government.

Thus, the Rangers powers now confined under Section 147 CrPC for which they had been in Karachi since 1989. In addition, the Sindh government clarified that in August 2016, it may set up pickets, patrolling on roads, providing back-up support to Sindh police during rallies etc. It said the Rangers can carry out their own intelligence-based operation in accordance with the law.

Sindh Rangers clearly stated that it no longer engaged in any search, arrest or independent operation after the withdrawal of powers under ATA, which expired on April 15. This practically means that the Karachi operation, if continued would be carried out by the police and if at all needs Rangers back-up, they could be called.

While the PPP and provincial government circles defended their position and hinted that the Rangers would not be given as much powers as given in Punjab, what they didn't realise is the fact that they are also facing issues with the IGP Sindh AD Khwaja.

Since the change of command in the army with new army chief, major reshuffle came in Sindh with the former corps commander, Lt-Gen Naveed Mukhtar appointed as DG ISI, and former DG Rangers Lt-Gen Bilal Akbar promoted and named Chief of General Staff.

The new apex committee, which has last met in February this year, has also not been called because of the ongoing tension. Karachi targeted action, which later named as Karachi operation, started in Sept 2013 resulted in marked improvement in target-killings, kidnapping for ransom, extortion, etc.

The PPP leadership were happy over the crackdown on the MQM alleged militant wing and also on the Lyari gang and People's Amn Committee. The situation started aggravating in 2015, when Rangers came down hard on people allegedly involved in terror-financing and money-laundering.

Dr Asim Hussain's arrest, crackdown on Fishermen Cooperative Society, arrest of Nisar Morai and later raid for Sindh Buildings Control chief, Manzoor Kaka, and others alerted Zardari and the PPP leadership. It was the turning point in the operation as till then the Sindh government was happy that the backbone of MQM militant wing had been broken.

An unimpeachable source disclosed that for the first time he saw Zardari disturbed when former army chief, retired General Raheel Sharif, in the presence of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the former president, declared that they would break all nexus whether it linked to terror financing or money-laundering.

When Dr Asim was arrested, Zardari was in Dubai, from where he issued hard hitting statement against Nawaz Sharif and said: 'Mian Sahib you have stabbed in the back and will pay a heavy price for it’.

Earlier, he was also very sceptical about setting up of military courts in 2014, and during the APC, called after Army Public School (APS) Peshawar, he cautioned Mian Sahib, saying: "Be sure these courts would not be used against politicians”.

During the last two years in particular, the tension between Centre and Sindh have also reached to the point where the chief minister started issuing warnings to the Centre particularly Interior Minister Ch Nisar Ali Khan. Firstly, he warned that if the FIA and NAB did not stop their operations, their offices here would be closed and recently he gave similar warning to Sui Southern Gass.

The refusal of Centre about the transfer of IGP Sindh, AD Khwaja has also frustrated provincial government and the former president as well. The Sindh High Court stay order also added to the tension.

Therefore, it appeared that the PPP leadership and its Sindh government has now decided to take a tough line as they want that prior to the next general elections the law-enforcing authorities would follow its order. They considered AD Khwaja as a hurdle after he refused to succumb to the pressure on certain issues.

With this uncertainty, the worst since the Karachi operation launched in 2013, any major incident at this juncture particularly in Karachi, could put the provincial government in serious trouble.

While some of the concerns of the Sindh government, rather Mr Zardari's, could be genuine particularly in the cases of disappearance neither the rangers nor the establishment ready to close inquires related to terror financing or money-laundering.

The MQM, particularly MQM-London too has serious reservations over Ranger's operation. But, neither the PPP nor the Sindh government intend to give any relief to them as they believe that MQM chief Altaf Hussain, after August 22, went too far and thus ruled out any possibility of relief.

If the tension continued as it is today, between Sindh and Centre, the provincial government could even ask Rangers to go back. Can they do it and take that kind of a risk, I doubt. So, why not resolve the issue, not through bargain but by enforcing law of the land.  

The writer is a senior columnist and analyst of Geo, The News and Jang.

Twitter: @MazharAbbasGEO