KARACHI/Hyderabad: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf announced on Sunday that it would stage a protest demonstration on Sharea Faisal on Monday against the Sindh government for not extending special policing powers to the Rangers.

Speaking at a press conference, PTI leader Imran Ismail said that extending powers to the Rangers was necessary for the peace in Karachi and if the Sindh government failed to extend the powers his party would lodge a series of protests not only in the assembly but across the province.

He said that it was because of the Rangers that the peace had finally returned to the city, but the Pakistan Peoples Party government was making an issue of the Rangers power since their action against corruption had directly affected the PPP leadership.

The Sindh government was evading the extension of powers to the Rangers to hide its corruption and incompetency and trying to make the operation controversial, he added.

He announced that the PTI would organise a first protest demonstration at Star Gate on Sharea Faisal.

Speaking on the occasion, PTI leader Faisal Vawda said that if the powers of Rangers were not extended the PTI would spread its protest across Sindh.

ST protests against Sindh govt

Activists of Sunni Tehrik staged a protest demonstration at Hyder Chowk on Sunday against the delay in extension of special policing powers to the Rangers by the Sindh government.

The demonstration was led by ST’s district coordinator Mohammad Imran Suharwardi. Protesters raised slogans against the Sindh government and in support of the army and Rangers.

Mr Suharwardi said that the powers of Rangers were being clipped at a time when Rabiul Awal has started and it was a conspiracy against Ahl-e-Sunnat.

He said that the Sindh government was trying to cover up its own corruption and sabotaging the National Action Plan by curtailing powers of the Rangers.

Criticising the Sindh chief minister’s remarks that corruption was started in Pakistan when Liaquat Ali Khan was prime minister, the ST asked him to apologise for this statement.

Published in Dawn, December 14th, 2015