Daily Times

KARACHI: As the role of the ‘establishment’ in Karachi politics is drawing criticism soon after two political parties’ alliance collapsed in less than 24 hours last week, the Sindh Rangers director general on Monday night rejecting the claims, saying it was a wrong impression that Rangers had given any guidelines to any political party.

Major General Muhammad Saeed said political parties were the ones who made their decisions for making an alliance with other groups or working independently.

“It is a wrong impression that [Sindh] Rangers gives any guidelines to a political party,” he added.

The statement came after Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) chief Mustafa Kamal on Saturday ‘disclosed’ the name of the alleged broker of his party’s alliance with Dr Farooq Sattar-led Muttahida Quami Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) that could only last for two days.

“I will rather say that the MQM-Pakistan was launched in the office of Major General Bilal Akbar [the then Sindh Rangers DG],” Kamal said.

The Sindh Rangers DG went on to say that the political parties could do their politics but there should be no violence. “Our only concern is that what had been in the past [violence in Karachi before 2013] should not be done again,” he added.

Maj Gen Saeed said the MQM-P and PSP had been in contact for the last eight months. “There are cases against MQM-P leaders and we have not retreated a single inch on that.”

Published in Daily Times, November 14^th 2017.