Senior Vice-President of Awami National Party (ANP), Haji Adeel, has contacted President Asif Ali Zardari on telephone and apprised him of the unjust operation being carried out against the ANP activists in particular and Pakhtoons in general. Adeel protested to the president against the alleged torture committed on ANP activists by the Rangers and destruction at the ANP offices. He strongly protested to the president in this regard.President Zardari assured the ANP senior vice-president that he will look into this, a press release issued by the ANP said on Saturday. The press release stated that on the directives of the president, the Federal Interior Minister, Rehman Malik, contacted Adeel and promised him that all ANP’s reservations and fears in this regard would be removed. He regretted the action against the ANP and also assured him that action would be taken against responsible Rangers’ officials.Malik further said that because the Rangers had used their additional powers unfairly and illegally, he may consider taking back the additional powers.
According to the ANP spokesman Qadir Khan, Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Qaim Ali Shah contacted ANP’s Provincial President Shahi Syed in Dubai and both leaders discussed the above-mentioned operation. Shahi strongly protested the operation against the ANP. The spokesman said that the Sindh CM would be meeting an ANP delegation on Sunday at the CM House.Meanwhile, the ANP spokesman has strongly reacted to the statement of the Rangers spokesman Maj Farooq Bilal that the Friday night operation was only against the criminal elements. The spokesman further said that the operation was launched against the ANP and Pakhtoons only. He said that had the operation been launched against criminal elements, people from other ethnic groups would also have been arrested.He stated that the ANP had always supported granting additional powers to the Rangers for launching operation against criminal elements. Also the ANP always asked the people to fully support the Rangers.However, because of some Ranger’s officials, Pakhtoons are losing confidence in the law-enforcement agencies. Also, some Ranger’s officers have sabotaged the efforts made by the ANP for peace in the city.
He said that the confidence could only be restored in Rangers if the government took action against the responsible Rangers personnel and removed the grievances of the Pakhtoons. He said that they were protesting against the unjustified arrest of 750 office-bearers and activists of the ANP and at creating fears among the Pakhtoon people residing in Pakhtoon localities.He demanded that all no-go areas should be removed from Karachi; all city localities should be open to all political parties, while Karachi should be handed over to the Army to recover legal and illegal arms and to end the operation in Pakhtoon areas.He claimed that the Sindh CM had sought a report on the issue and promised neutral inquiry into it and to remove ANP’s reservations – Thenews
