Sindh cabinet empowers Rangers with ATA for another 90 days

KARACHI: The provincial cabinet, which met here at the CM House on Saturday under the chairmanship of Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, has decided to requisition the assistance of Pakistan Rangers, Sindh, within the Karachi Division under Section 4(2) of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997 for a period of 90 days right from April 16, 2017. A spokesman of the Chief Minister's House said in a statement here on Saturday that the meeting was attended by provincial ministers, advisers and special assistants and all the concerned senior officers.

The statement said the chief minister told the cabinet members that earlier the chief minister used to take such decision on his own but now the High Court of Sindh has made interpretation of the government as cabinet, therefore, the extension of powers to the Pakistan Rangers under ATA-1997 has been brought in the cabinet.

He said that the Rangers had done a successful operation against militant wings, extortionists, target killers and terrorists in Karachi.

In the first phase, the government successfully restored peace in the city by focusing on law and order and now reconstruction of the infrastructure of the city had been started.

Syed Murad Ali Shah said that the Rangers operation against militant wings and banned outfits was also praiseworthy.

"The other agencies and police have also done remarkable work and I would say that it was good teamwork, which has produced congenial results," he said.

Secretary Home Qazi Shahid Parvez briefed the cabinet on the powers.

The provincial ministers, Nisar Khuhro, Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani, Manzoor Wassan, Syed Sardar Shah, Syed Nasir Shah, Jam Mehtab and Ziaul Hassan Lanjar said that the Rangers were doing good work, therefore, they may be given powers under the ATA. Therefore, the cabinet unanimously approved to requisition the assistance of Rangers within Karachi under Section 4(2) of ATA 1997 for a period of another 90 days w.e.f April 16, 2017. The cabinet also called for capacity building of the police.