Interior minister inspects Rangers’ passing-out parade in Karachi

KARACHI: A passing-out parade of the Pakistan Rangers Sindh took place at the Rangers Headquarters, Super Highway, where 782 cadets, including women, passed out on Saturday.

The chief guest on the occasion was Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan. DG Rangers Maj-Gen Mohammad Saeed and other officials were also present.

The spokesman for the Sindh Rangers said that it was the 24th Basic Recruits Training Course which was of 24 weeks. Moreover, 782 recruits passed, including women.

Chaudhry Nisar in his speech said that intelligence agencies had played a historic role in the Karachi operation. Intelligence agencies also played a role against extortionists hijacking the city, he added.

He said all bad intentions of the enemy would remained unfulfilled if peace was restored in Karachi.

The interior minister said that it was an important day in the life of the cadets as they were being recruited by a prestigious institution. He said the Sindh Rangers in the last 70 years had made a history of courage, bravery and sacrifices.

Chaudhry Nisar said the Rangers had also fulfilled all the responsibilities assigned to it, he said, adding that some three years back the Sindh Rangers had been assigned a difficult task as there were both internal and external difficulties.

In the last three and a half years, the Rangers have conducted around 9,500 operations, and success in this regard is well-known to entire Pakistan.

The entire country fully honoured the performance of the Rangers, who had played their part in bringing peace to the city, the interior minister said.

He said that after the Karachi operation started in September 2013, then Maj-Gen Rizwan Akhtar and DR Rangers Bilal Akbar had given not just a new leadership but new policies to the Sindh Rangers.

The interior minister said the Sindh Police should also be given credit for restoring peace in Karachi as they
stood shoulder to shoulder with the Rangers in eliminating crime.

The issue of the Rangers special powers should not be made controversial after every three months, he said, adding that the Rangers did its part of restoring peace in the city.

The Rangers budget had been increased from Rs7 billion to Rs12 billion, he said.

Chaudhry Nisar said that the Karachi operation would continue under the command of the DG Rangers Sindh.

Later, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar attended a high-level meeting at the Rangers Headquarters.

He added that the meeting took into consideration issues related to the ongoing Karachi Operation and internal security of the civil armed forces.

The DG Rangers welcomed the interior minister on his arrival at the Rangers Headquarters and briefed him about the targeted operation in
Karachi.