Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Reminding the nation of the sacrifices rendered by Sindh Rangers, especially during the Karachi operation, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Monday said that the Rangers’ role should not be politicised.

“We will not allow Rangers to turn into a ‘political football’,” the minister said at a press conference, adding that the cost of Karachi operation was not low. “Thirty-one Rangers personnel have been martyred and 89 injured during the operation in Karachi. We have to urge the Rangers to keep their morale high,” the minister said, adding that delay in extending the paramilitary force’s powers was tantamount to putting their lives in danger. “The paramilitary force has to have a legal cover, as they curb criminals activities in the city.” The minister said security forces personnel had put their lives on risk and their sacrifices should not be wasted for taking political mileage.

Visible reduction in crimes, he said, had been witnessed since the operation was launched in the city. Both the federal and the provincial governments should carry forward the operation for complete restoration of peace there, he said.

To a question, Nisar said that the government would initiate legal action after August 31 against those having fake computerised national identity cards (CNICs). “They would have to face up to 14-year imprisonment after August 31.”

He said that during the 15 days since the launch of the campaign against fake CNICs, around 2.6 million SMSes had been received by NADRA for verification of family members, while the authority had also sent 1.8 million SMSes to people for this purpose.

He said that 22,000 fake CNICs had been identified and cases would be registered against foreigners who did not withdraw their cards. Nisar also announced Rs 10,000 prize for the identification of every fake CNIC.

Nisar further said that 100,000 CNICs had been blocked from 2013 to 2016, and more than 2,000 passports were cancelled during the same period.

To a question, the minister said he was trying his best to undo the wrongdoings of the previous governments by introducing reforms and strictly following the standard procedures while issuing identification documents to the people.