Additional Inspector General (AIG) Karachi Mushtaq Mehar has ordered an inquiry into controversial advertisements in Tuesday’s local newspapers apparently by police seeking masses support to identify Rangers officials allegedly behind kidnapping of six missing citizens. The advertisements appeared in various national newspapers read that the six missing persons had been taken away by unidentified Rangers personnel. The masses were urged in the ads to inform the DSP Orangi Town if they were aware of missing people’s whereabouts. Speaking to Geo News late on Tuesday, AIG Mehar said the ads were published without approval, adding that Sindh government’s information department assisted in publishing the ads. He said cases were lodged against the Pakistan Rangers Sindh upon court orders. Summary of first information report (FIR) was attached with the letter sent to the newspapers for the advertisements. Meanwhile taking notice of the matter, Sindh Home Minister Sohail Anwar Sial has ordered a probe into it besides suspending the DSP Orangi Town. The move appears even more inexplicable given that the police and Rangers have been leading a joint operation since September 2013 to crack down on criminal/terrorist elements in Karachi, an operation that has led to an appreciable decline in heinous crimes.
There could, therefore, be some merit in the suspicion that this is an attempt to damage the working relationship between the two forces by quarters feeling threatened by the operation. Nevertheless, while the intention behind placing the advertisements may certainly be questionable, it has thrown the spotlight on an issue that demands redressal. There are persistent reports of people being arrested and detained by law-enforcement agencies without presenting them in court within 24 hours as required by the law. In a number of instances, individuals have been in custody for a month or even longer without their families having any intimation as to their whereabouts or well-being. The law-enforcement authorities’ actions are particularly egregious because there is legislation giving them powers of detention for up to 90 days at their discretion, albeit after notifying the court. But in these circumstances, when citizens’ rights appear to be in abeyance, what recourse do the families of the missing individuals have?
Also, the people of Karachi must have ownership of the wide-ranging operation being conducted in their city; to this end, there should be a forum set up comprising some of its most eminent citizens to give their input and prevent the excesses that may in future unravel the gains made thus far.
pk.shafaqna.com
