KARACHI: As the Sindh government insisted that the Rangers had no ‘constitutional mandate’ to carry out actions in any other part of Sindh except Karachi, the paramilitary force on Thursday claimed that they had picked up hundreds of suspects linked with political, militant and separatist groups in the interior of Sindh since September 2013.

The Rangers said they conducted these actions in compliance with powers given to them under Article 147 of the Constitution and in line of action, three soldiers lost their life.

“Pakistan Rangers, Sindh, in line of powers given to them under Article 147 since September 5, 2013 has apprehended a total of 533 suspects during raids in different areas in interior Sindh,” according to the spokesperson.

Of them, the officer added, 478 suspects were handed over to the police concerned for further legal action while 55 other suspects were given to other law enforcement agencies such as the Federal Investigation Agency, Anti-Narcotics Force, Customs, Frontier Constabulary and the irrigation department.

Among the held suspects, 127 were illegal Afghans, 34 linked with banned outfits, 16 affiliated with separatist organizations, four belonged to ‘militant wing’ of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (Altaf), 18 were robbers/dacoits, 10 smugglers, 11 ‘illegal’ hunters, 24 drug peddlers and 234 were involved in different crimes.

The paramilitary force spokesperson said that during these actions in interior Sindh, two Rangers officers and a soldier sacrificed their lives while fighting against criminals and two soldiers sustained injuries.

Published in Dawn, July 22nd, 2016