Rangers get 120 days extension in special powers

E-Paper | July 27, 2026

KARACHI: Chief Minister Sindh Qaim Ali Shah on Saturday extended the special powers granted to Pakistan Rangers Sindh by 120 days.

Special policing powers which were assigned to the Rangers according to the Anti-Terrorism act in the province, were earlier extended for a month on July 8, expired today.

The chief minister while announcing the development expressed hope that Rangers personnel will continue to work with the same spirit and passion in the city.

Read: 43pc decrease in target killings after Karachi operation

Earlier, the Sindh government in July also extended the Rangers stay by one year to help police and civil administration in Karachi.

According to the recently compiled figures, since September 5, 2013 when the federal government decided to launch the Rangers-led ‘targeted-operation’ in Karachi with the provincial government consent, the paramilitary force has conducted some 5,795 operations and apprehended 10,353 suspects that ranged from street criminals to terrorists.

“During these operations, the Rangers recovered some 7,312 weapons of different caliber,” said a source citing details of the figures. “Among the arrested persons, 826 are terrorists, 334 hit men, 296 extortionists and 82 are kidnappers. Of the arrested suspects, 4,950 have already been handed over to the police for further investigation and legal process,” the source added.

The deployment of Pakistan Rangers, Sindh, in Karachi is requisitioned under Article 147 of the Constitution, and under Clause 1 of Sub-section 3 of Section 4 of Anti-Terrorism Act 1997, authorised to prevent the commission of terrorist acts, or scheduled offences in notified area for the punishment of terrorist in accordance with the provision of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997.

Called in 1989 to assist the police in Karachi by the then PPP-led government amid a deteriorating law and order situation, the Rangers started enjoying more powers in 2009 — again extended by PPP-led governments both in the centre and the province, which allowed the force to search houses and arrest suspects without warrants.

Also Read War of Words between MQM and Rangers

Pakistan

Imtiaz Ali is a Karachi-based reporter for Dawn with over 25 years of experience in the field. His reporting portfolio encompasses crime, politics, and the provincial legislature, alongside coverage of the courts, government affairs, and the health sector.

Public holiday in Sindh on Wednesday for Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai’s urs

Water supply to parts of Karachi resumes after power at Dhabeji pumping station restored

Pothole-riddled roads in Gulistan-i-Jauhar turn daily travel into an exhausting ordeal for Karachiites

cmh

Aug 08, 2015 05:05pm

What a brave and constitutional CM!

Recommend 0

Glowing Pakistan

Aug 08, 2015 05:40pm

90 days were enough I think but what people say more you add sugar better will be taste.So if it can help in peace,we should support it.

Recommend 0

KeyPoints

Aug 08, 2015 06:06pm

Please catch 10 or atleast 5 big criminals & present in court for justice. Unless big criminals are sent to jail, nothing will change in the country.

Recommend 0

Rizvi

Aug 08, 2015 06:06pm

Let the peace to be build in the region!

Recommend 0

KeyPoints

Aug 08, 2015 06:12pm

@Glowing Pakistan Many big name looters roaming around on streets. Why dont NAB present the case, why not police catch them. Hope rangers use their special powers to drag as many as possible criminals into the court. Average pakistani citizen has been looted by many 'respectable powerfull, influential' criminals for far too long. Much is riding on rangers to rescue the system. Because after rangers finish there assignment, it might go back to business as usual for many criminals?

Recommend 0

IMRAN ALI

Aug 08, 2015 07:04pm

well done targeting only one community...as a reward take the 120 days extension and free land..

Recommend 0

syed wasim haider

Aug 08, 2015 07:40pm

It looks CM is very cooperative in catching big fishes.

Recommend 0

Glowing Pakistan

Aug 08, 2015 07:41pm

@KeyPoints I agree with you dear. But rangers can't do any thing.Rangers can just pick criminals to an end.Last longer peace can only be come through DEVELOPMENT.And I am hopeful that after rangers completed there work govt will bring a new era of development in Karachi as NS promised in his June visit.We should give time to govt and just wait for betterment.And big fishes can't stay more because nation is more aware now.

Recommend 0

Haque Parast

Aug 08, 2015 07:51pm

Why only Karachi? Why not whole Sindh? Why not Lahore? Why not peshawar? Why not querta? This is so obvious that the operation is against only one community, one minority, one political party. History repeating itself.

Recommend 0

Truth

Aug 08, 2015 08:18pm

@Haque Parast Dear you must understand the meaning of 'son of soil'.

Recommend 0

Amir

Aug 08, 2015 08:34pm

Special Powers were not given/extended by CM actually were taken from him.

Recommend 0

Sab Se Pehle Pakistan

Aug 08, 2015 08:55pm

Offcourse the so called across the board operation is targetting a single political party. Hence extensions are happening left right and center.

Recommend 0

Syed Ali

Aug 08, 2015 09:33pm

@Haque Parast You have correctly pointed out this operation; worst place with no law and order is Quetta; operation should have started from there; so called "angry Balochs" are walking free. The whole purpose of operation in Karachi is to break the back of MQM and use MQMs vote bank for some other parties.

Recommend 0

Truth

Aug 08, 2015 10:23pm

Good and now the time is to extend the operation toward corrupt government and eradicate the corrupt politicians regardless party affiliation,

Recommend 0

Dreamer

Aug 08, 2015 10:59pm

@Glowing Pakistan Wake up..wake up...go to work...

Recommend 0

Corruption Remover

Aug 08, 2015 10:59pm

It should be other way politicians should get 120 days to clean their act and if they do not they should be kicked out of the office

Recommend 0

PHILOSOPHER (from Japan)

Aug 08, 2015 11:22pm

More power, more menace, more media campaign, more news...end result...nothing...we need more power... its called a game of circular flow of power and politics.

Recommend 0

Cyrus

Aug 09, 2015 01:30am

Rangers are needed because on big city police departments there are honest and corrupt police. The honest police cannot stop the dishonest police from operation. There were Hispanic gang members who had become police officers and worked in my local police station. The Federal Bureau of Investigation had to intervene to send them to prison.

Recommend 0

sheikh

Aug 09, 2015 02:14am

@Haque Parast because murders like in Karachi since 1990 have no parallel......please do not support the wrong my dear.

Recommend 0

khurram

Aug 09, 2015 09:07am

@Haque Parast bhai one task at a time. we believe that every single criminal will go through their scanner. we want them to be thorough in karachi. After this if rangers donot clean sind this ops will never achieve its true objective. but right now one by one approach appear to be feasible.

Recommend 0