KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly on Wednesday passed a resolution asking for checks and conditions on Rangers’ special powers to raid and arrest suspects.
Sindh Home Minister Sohail Anwar Sial presented the resolution on the critical issue of Rangers’ powers on the floor of the Sindh Assembly, amid chants and slogans by opposition members.
The resolution, which was approved by the House, was criticised by opposition members who claimed the government wanted to seriously curtail the paramilitary force’s powers.
The resolution states that Rangers will only have powers with respect to the following:
Target killing
Extortion
Kidnapping for ransom
Sectarian killing
“That any person, who is not directly involved in terrorism and is only suspected of aiding and abetting terrorists or by way of terror financing or facilitating terrorists shall not be placed under preventive detention under any law without prior written approval of the Government of Sindh i.e Chief Minister. It is clarified that in case a person is suspected of the above, cogent reasons with complete evidence justifying such preventive detention shall be provided to Government of Sindh, which will, based on the available evidence, approve or reject such proposal of preventive detention.”
“The Pakistan Rangers Sindh shall not raid any office of Government of Sindh or any other Government Authority without prior written approval of the Chief Secretary, Government of Sindh.”
Opposition members, including those from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), PML-F and the PML-Q, tore apart their copies of the resolution and staged a walkout from the assembly to register their protest against the PPP-led provincial government.