KARACHI: Rangers’ lawyers submitted a report to the Karachi registry of the Supreme Court on Monday, requesting powers to investigate and prosecute suspects involved in target killings, terrorism, kidnappings for ransom, and extortion.

Rangers requested the powers claiming the provincial government and police are under pressure and slowing down action against facilitators of criminal activity, according to the report. The Rangers also requested to be allowed to set up police stations.

Presenting his argument the Rangers' lawyer told the court that a key suspect involved in the Safoora Goth attack had been captured in another incident in 2011, but had later been released.

A copy of the Rangers' report could not be obtained.

A larger bench of the Karachi registry of the Supreme Court resumed the proceedings of the Karachi killing suo motu case today.

The five-member bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, rejected a report presented today by the Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) and the Sindh Inspector General (IG) Ghulam Haider Jamali on the performance of police on the Karachi law and order case.

The bench termed the reports "incomplete" and unsatisfactory and ordered the Sindh IG to present a complete report on the next hearing of the case which was adjourned until tomorrow.

The bench did not elaborate on what was missing from the reports.

According to the IGP’s report, the overall law and order situation in 2011 had deteriorated to an extent that the apex court had to take suo motu notice of it.

The police's report said that there was a marked decrease in crimes, including targeted killings and terrorist activities.

It said that there was a sharp decline in terrorism-related cases in the city as 42 such cases were reported in 2014 and only four such cases in 2015, while no such case was reported in the current year.

The case has been taken up after a pause of over 20 months apparently because the security situation in the city has shown marked improvement during the past two years.