Daily Times

KARACHI: The Rangers authorities have revealed Wednesday that target killers in Karachi are receiving financial assistance from South Africa, Thailand and the United Kingdom.

While briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights, the Rangers authorities informed that 7950 operations were conducted across the metropolis since September 2013. Around 6361 suspects were handed over to police and 221 were handed over to FIA and other law enforcement agencies. 1158 suspects were released without registration of the First Information Report (F.I.R), 1,313 were released on bail while 188 were convicted in various cases. A total of 1,236 alleged terrorists, 848 target killers, 403 extortionists and 143 kidnappers were among those arrested during these raids.

Alleged target killers confessed to targeting 7224 persons in the city, the paramilitary Rangers stated. 1,313 operations were conducted against the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), 1,035 against Peoples Aman Committee and 28 operations were carried out against Awami National Party (ANP). The Rangers authorities further reported that there was an 80% decline in terror related incidents, 75% in target killings, 85% in extortion cases and 83% reduction in incidents of kidnapping. The report comes a day after two army men, Lance Naik Abdul Razzaq and Sepoy Khadmin Hussain were shot dead when motorcycle gunmen opened fire on their pick-up truck near parking plaza in Saddaq area of Karachi.

Pakistan Rangers Sindh also rejected allegations of human rights violations in the Karachi operation and said law and order situation in Sindh’s capital had improved a lot due to the operation and more than 90 per cent people are in the favour of operation.

Colonel Qaisar of Pakistan Rangers Sindh, while briefing over the Karachi operation to the Senate’s Standing Committee of Human Rights, said that prior to the Rangers operation in Karachi in 2012-13, seven killings were registered on daily basis in which almost two were targeted and at least one was the kidnapped case. Before the operation, Karachi was sixth-most violent city in the world.

He said that the Rangers were given powers for operation in Karachi and after been given a mandate to take action against terrorism, target killing, kidnapping and extortion, it overcame organised violence and destroyed TTP and other banned outfits successfully. He said DG Rangers Sindh strictly ordered that only the guilty should be arrested. Rangers accomplished 7950 operations, arrested some 6,361 criminals, who were handed over to Police, and 221 other wrongdoers were also handed over to FIA, ANF and Customs.

Rangers arrested 1,236 terrorists and 848 target killers and they confessed that they had also killed almost 7,000 innocent people. He said that 403 extortionists and 103 kidnapers were also arrested. During the operation, 30 Rangers personnel were martyred. He rejected MQM’s assertion that it was being targeted in the Karachi operation, saying Rangers was also taking actions against Amin Committee and other groups. He said that 478 people were arrested from other parts of Sindh and handed over to Police.

He pointed to a survey and said that 90 per cent people were satisfied with the performance of Rangers and 88 per cent are in favour of it staying in Karachi till fully restoration of peace. He also rejected blame of human rights violations and said Rangers were operating according to their assigned mandate. He said that all operations were intelligence based.

Representative of Sindh Police, while briefing the panel, said that arrested people are from all communities and no specific community was being targeted. He said almost 100 police personnel were sacked from their jobs over the complaints from public.

Earlier, special invitee of the meeting Senator Tahir Mushahadi blamed Rangers for targeting only the Urdu speaking community. He said that 70 custodial deaths took place and the Army Chief himself ordered enquiries of these murders.

He said cases under the anti terrorist law, cases were registered against 25 elected representatives of MQM. “Our party’s head speeches were banned on media, which is also a human rights violation” he added. Chairperson of the committee Nasreen Jalil said that the National Commission of Human Rights (NCHR) should commence investigation regarding torture and extra judicial killings in Karachi.