New tussle

The operation in Karachi develops new twists and turns by the day. The latest has come following advertisementS placed in at least one newspaper apparently by the Karachi police. In these ads unknown’ Rangers officials are accused of taking away at least six people. It is also said that at least 40 other cases pertaining to missing persons have been registered at Karachi police stations, mainly those in Orangi Town. The unusual advertisements which the Press Information Department says it passed on to newspapers as a matter of routine has created a storm. The Sindh chief minister has said that the provincial government has nothing to do with this and that this was an individual act. The DSP of Orangi Town has been suspended and a full investigation by the CID ordered. The Rangers have come out in bitter condemnation of the advertisement, and termed it an attempt to sabotage the Karachi drive for law and order. Certainly it is odd that two security agencies that are ostensibly working together should come out in public against each other.
We have known tensions between police and Rangers have existed for some time but clearly matters have reached a new height. There is suspicion of political motivation behind what has happened. The only thing this will lead to is further complicating the task of restoring order in Karachi and uniting all forces for this purpose. Yes, we do need to look into what happened and who sanctioned the advertisements accusing the Rangers of whisking away people. There can be no success in the operation if various agencies work against each other. At the same time, now that the matter has been made so public, it is important to investigate the issue of missing persons in Karachi. Major political parties have already complained about this. Yes, criminals must be apprehended but it is also important to follow the law while doing so. The Sindh government now carries the chief responsibility for looking into what has happened and why. It must also act to hold the operation together and keep security agencies united. It is important to develop rules and to follow them. What has happened does not augur well and simply adds to problems that have already been trying to undermine the operation in Karachi. What we must do now is to find a way to make the drive to restore law and order even more effective.