Paramilitary force gets extension of policing powers

As the special policing powers of the Sindh Rangers are set to expire on Friday, Sindh’s chief minister has granted a 90-day extension of the paramilitary force’s authority.

On Wednesday CM Syed Murad Ali Shah approved a summary under which the deployment of the Pakistan Rangers in Karachi Division was extended from July 15 to October 12.

The extension was granted under Section 4 (‘Calling in of armed forces and civil armed forces in aid of civil powers’) of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997.

The paramilitary force will avail the special policing powers derived from the relevant section only in Karachi Division to act against suspected criminals and terrorists in the city. In the rest of the province, their deployment will be in aid of the civil administration and the police force.

To overcome the issues of terrorism, target killing and extortion in Karachi, a high-level meeting was convened in the city in September 2013. It was attended by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, now-former army chief Gen Raheel Sharif, politicians and officials of various law enforcement agencies.

The meeting decided to launch a crackdown on criminals, terrorists and their facilitators, extending powers to the Sindh Rangers and giving the command of operation to the Sindh director general of the paramilitary force.

After the start of the operation the Rangers, along with the Sindh police, led a crackdown on terrorists and criminals involved in incidents of target killing, extortion and terrorism. Several high-profile terrorists and their facilitators were arrested or killed in different raids as a result.