Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Saturday lauded the Pakistan Rangers for their efforts in securing the country's borders and exhibiting responsibility and bravery in internal security matters.

Addressing a passing out parade of Sachal Rangers at the Rangers Training Centre in Karachi, Nisar said the issue of securing Karachi should not be "politicised".

"Rangers' powers should not be made controversial every three months," he said, in an apparent reference to the Sindh government's reluctance to extend the paramilitary force's term.

"I hope the process of creating barriers regarding Rangers' powers every three months will stop now."

The minister said Rangers do not function for the benefit of any political party or vested interests and should be "facilitated" in bringing peace to Karachi.

He said the Rangers were assigned the "extremely difficult task" of securing Karachi three and half years ago but the paramilitary force had created an example of valour and service despite all odds during this period.

Nisar said Rangers had conducted 9,500 operations in the metropolis in the last three and a half years. A total of 7,500 militants and criminals were handed over to the police and large amounts of explosives and weapons were seized.

"The whole country is grateful to you... for bringing peace to the country's largest city," he told Rangers personnel. He said budget allocated for Rangers had been increased from Rs7 billion to Rs12bn under his watch.

He said peace in the entire country will be established if there is peace in Karachi.

Nisar said Karachi was held hostage by "one man" a few years ago.

"When he would say set [it] ablaze, fire would be started... when he would say shut down the city, the city would be shut down... today it is not the same.

"Today, you have forced these thiefs, extortionists and terrorists into fleeing," he told the audience.

Rangers' powers

The federal government had on Monday extended special policing powers of the Rangers in Karachi for another 90 days while rejecting conditions of the Sindh government.

In a letter written in response to the provincial government’s requisition proposing extension in the term of Rangers with certain conditions, the interior ministry had said neither the Anti-Terrorism Act can be restricted, nor its relevant clauses be partially taken out, or amended.

It said that the provincial government’s proposals did not fall under the relevant law.

Informed sources told Dawn that the Sindh government this time wanted to restrict the role of Rangers in Karachi merely to assist the police. The force under existing arrangement has a lead policing role to carry out raids, arrest suspects, interrogate them and conduct snap checking on their own.

The paramilitary force is currently spearheading an ‘operation’ against criminal elements in Karachi, which was initiated in September 2013 after the federal cabinet empowered the force to lead a targeted advance with the support of police against criminals already identified by federal military and civilian agencies for their alleged involvement in targeted killings, kidnappings for ransom, extortion and terrorism in Karachi.