Director General, Pakistan Rangers (Sindh), Major General Rizwan Akhtar on Tuesday underlined the need of preparing a long-term strategy to overcome criminal activities and to maintain law and order in Sindh in general and Karachi in particular.
Addressing members of Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) on Tuesday, he said that at present they were working on short term strategy to deal with law and order. The ultimate target is to provide security to all and have peaceful elections, he added. He said that preparing long-term strategy to maintain law and order situation was not the job of Ranger and the relevant authorities should do the task.
He said that the issue of law and order could not be addressed within a day or two instead a long-term policy was required to put an end to extortion and terrorism. To a question that some of trade bodies were demanding deployment of army in the city, Rizwan Akhtar said that what the army will do that were not being done by Rangers. "We are doing whatever laws allow us to do to control law and order in the city and Sindh," he added.
He said that law and order at present was much better than 2011 when around 60 to 80 people were being killed in the city daily. He said that the Pakistan Rangers was conferred special powers on August 25, 2011 to play its role to control the deteriorating law and order situation.
He said that Rangers had the powers to conduct operation and arrest criminals. "We can arrest criminals but they can not hold them for a day. We have to hand them over to police for interrogation and prosecution," he added. He was of the view that criminals had been arrested but were released without punishment which needs government's attention toward new legislation and speedy trials with protection of the witnesses.
General Akhtar also underlined the need of witness protection programme. "At present there is no witness protection program in the country. Rangers is well aware about the problems of the business and industrial community and committed to play its role to address these," he added.
KCCI President, Haroon Agar, pleaded that Rangers be given same power like police to control law and order in the city. He said that law and order in terms of kidnapping for ransom and targeted killing has started showing sign of improvement after Ranger initiated targeted operations. He said that still there were areas in the city where they could not send their children owing to fear of kidnapping. He said significant number of EU investors visiting Pakistan to see the investment opportunities in Pakistan. However, they showed reluctance when they see the prevailing law and order condition. Former President KCCI, Majyd Aziz urged all the political parties to avoid giving strike calls at least till May 11.