THE paramilitary Rangers, who have been leading the ongoing law-enforcement operation in Karachi, have made clear their desire to have extended the special policing powers granted to them temporarily, for at least a year.

This emerged during the Supreme Court proceedings held in the city on Monday, looking into the implementation of the Karachi suo motu judgement.

The paramilitary force told the bench that the Sindh government was attempting to clip its wings, and implored the court to expand the Rangers’ powers to include setting up their own ‘police stations’, register FIRs and submit charge-sheets in court — moves opposed by Sindh on Tuesday.

These powers, if granted, would effectively enable the Rangers to encroach upon the police’s powers. In a democratic dispensation where the civilian side of the state should have the upper hand, giving such powers to a paramilitary force is decidedly ill-advised.

Unfortunately, it is also a fact that a politicised and largely inept police force, overseen by an ineffective provincial government in Sindh —especially where law and order is concerned — has created the space for the Rangers to move in and claim more powers.

Before the Rangers-led operation began in Karachi in September 2013, and picked up pace in 2015, the law and order situation in the metropolis was abysmal.

It is still far from perfect, yet the gains made are undeniable. For example, as per one figure quoted in the media, last year there were over 850 targeted killings in the city; the figure for 2014 was more than 1,800.

Other crimes, such as extortion and kidnapping, also appear to be down, though street crime levels remain largely unaffected.

The Rangers have done a commendable job in making the city’s streets safer, and it is fair to ask that until the force moved in and was given the mandate to clean up the city, why was the police force failing so miserably to keep the peace?

The answers lie in the fact that the police force, rather than being an independent unit governed solely by the law and taking across-the-board action against criminals and terrorists, is beholden to its political masters — a handicap the Rangers do not have.

Although the Rangers have justly been accused of overstepping their mandate and tolerating extrajudicial methods, by and large their presence has been beneficial to peace in Karachi.

Yet permanently militarising law enforcement and sidelining the police is not a long-term solution. In democratic societies, the police are the lead unit when it comes to enforcing the law. But for this, the force in Sindh would need operational independence and freedom from political diktat.

Are there any serious attempts being made by the Sindh government to attempt reforms along these lines?

The Rangers may be required to establish peace in the short term. But a permanent solution demands a depoliticised and effective police force.

Published in Dawn, March 9th, 2016