The opposition parties in the National Assembly are divided over the matter of Rangers' powers extension. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) want to extend Rangers special powers in the whole of Sindh whereas Pakistan People's Party (PPP) has strongly opposed it.
The members of the opposition parties on Wednesday asked the federal government to refrain from interfering in the provincial matters. MQM puts forward its stance by saying that it was MQM which initially sided with the decision of empowering Rangers in Sindh and demanded action against terrorism. Rangers come under Federal Interior Ministry but Provincial governments can appoint or call Rangers under Article 147. Rangers are not summoned if any unpleasant incident takes place in Sindh but are instantly called in Karachi if the same happens, why this discrimination, the MQM questioned.
MQM further said, "Karachi is being turned into establishment's colony and we won't let that happen, people of Karachi should not be marginalized." MQM staged token walk out from National Assembly over detention of Waseem Akhtar and other party leaders.
Asif Hasnain of MQM said, "We walkout from the proceedings of the National Assembly as a protest against policy of the PPP Sindh government that the operation should be confined to Karachi". "The extension in powers of Rangers in Sindh is a provincial matter and the Ministry of Interior cannot interfere in it," Syed Naveed Qamar of PPP said while speaking on a point of order alleging that the Interior Minister was using indecent language.
He said that Sindh province was not a colony of the Federal Government. Syed Asif Hasnain of MQM said the PPP leadership wants to limit the operation to Karachi only. "Karachi is neither colony of establishment nor property of any political property," he said. Asif Hasnain said the PPP leadership feels that there should be no operation in Larkana even when Rangers personnel are attacked but they have different feelings for Karachi. Dr Arif Alvi of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), however, favoured extension in powers of Rangers elsewhere in Sindh province. "There should be no hypocrisy on issue of extension in powers of Rangers in Karachi," he said adding that the people of interior Sindh and Karachi liked Rangers as they have restored peace there.
Veteran politician Mehmood Khan Achakzai said that supremacy of Constitution and provincial autonomy should be respected. He said that the chief secretary of our province (Balochistan) is running the affairs without the instruction of the Chief Minister.
Meanwhile, the minority member Dr Ramesh Lal alleged that worship place of Hindu community was burnt in Sindh saying nobody was there to take action against the miscreants. However, the PPP member Ayaz Soomro immediately denied that any worship place of Hindus had been burnt saying the member was lying only to make headlines. "Such allegation should not be raised which can create hatred among people," he said advising the minority member that he should not misguide the House on sensitive matters. The House also adopted a resolution extending the State Life Insurance Corporation (Reorganisation and Conversion) Ordinance, 2016 for a further period of 120 days.
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