Creating hurdles for Rangers, 29,000 criminals freed
The PPP government is slowly taking a U turn
Dunya Report (Shahzad Badar)
The Sindh government appears to have reneged on its previous commitments of helping the Rangers overcome the hurdles in battling crime and terrorism in the province. The PPP government is slowly taking a U turn and has decided to oppose the Rangers request for setting up its own mechanism to deal with the flaws in the police and civil judiciary system.
Despite meticulously chasing and nabbing criminals in Karachi the Rangers feel that their efforts will end up in vain if the Sindh government fails to provide a strong honest police and judicial backup and send the criminals to jail instead of letting them free due to improper investigations.
The Supreme Court judges were shocked to hear that seven convicts sentenced for life by anti-terrorism courts had been released on parole. Four of the prisoners were charged with kidnapping for ransom. The chief secretary was directed to submit a report on how could the four convicts be released on parole legally. The criminals were released due to political pressure.
DG Ranger’s in his report to the Supreme Court has criticized the provincial government for curtailing its powers to act under the anti-terrorism law. The fact is that the PPP government is not cooperating with the Rangers under various pretexts. Sindh Chief Secretary Siddique Memon told the Supreme Court Judges that the Rangers request tantamount to setting up a parallel judicial system. “The proposal involves constitutional and legal intricacies that need to be addressed with care,” he said.
Ranger’s counsel Shahid Anwar Bajwa has accused the Sindh police of conducting ‘whimsical and influenced’ investigations resulting in the release of 1,100 criminals. The report submitted by the Rangers to the Supreme Court bench is a charge sheet against the Sindh secretary and IGP.
The Supreme Court and Rangers have expressed annoyance and directed the IG Sindh to arrest the 29,000 absconders freed due to political interference or lack of proper investigations by the police.
To counter the defective investigations and interference from political parties the Rangers have requested permission to set up their own police stations with the powers of registration of FIRs, investigation and submission of charge sheets. A five member bench of the Supreme Court has taken a suo moto action concerning the law and order situation in Karachi and recently reprimanded the IG police.
Former president and co chairperson of PPP Asif Zardari has also criticized the National Accountability Bureau due to the investigations it launched against corruption in the province. The PML(N) and the PPP both appear to be united in opposing any clean up drive against their party members. Both Prime Minister and PML(N) ministers have warned NAB not to trespass into their territories. Nawaz Sharif, and Shahbaz Sharif are under investigation for construction of a road from Raiwind to Jati Umra, their residence. The case is pending since 2000, and involves an alleged misappropriation of Rs 125 million.
PPP and PML(N) are greatly perturbed by the NAB and Rangers getting proactive and digging out their corruption cases. With the NAB and Rangers looking for targets in Punjab the PML(N) is worried and thinking of amending and restructuring the NAB laws. Nawaz Sharif was angered when NAB arrested Aamir Latif, the contractor whose construction company Kalson Private Limited is currently working on Orange Line Metro Train project.
According to Zardari the PML(N) had agreed to amend the NAB laws during the PPP regime and the salaries of NAB officials were blocked. Nawaz later changed his mind claims Zardari.
The Sindh government, Zardari claims is contemplating changing the accountability laws and the PML(N) has also hinted that NAB would have to undergo changes.
The Sindh assembly and the government have a record of legislating laws to curtail the powers of the Rangers and not giving them complete authority to deal with hardcore criminals enjoying political patronage. Both political parties have formed an unhealthy alliance which would not help eliminate terrorism and corruption in the country. END
*The PILDAT report of 2014 has rated public confidence in NAB at 42%. This compares rather favorably with 29% people having confidence in Police and just 26% having any confidence in other government departments.
