Karachi: Five people were killed on Wednesday in
Pakistan`s biggest city in the fresh wave of violence and
target killings and the paramilitary forces asked for more
resources and a free hand to tackle the situation.
Three traders were gunned down this morning by
motorcycle-borne unknown assailants at Rashid Minhas road in
the heavily populated Gulshan-e-Iqbal town.
"All three were fruit and vegetable merchants and were
doing business in Karachi for a while now," the son-in-law of
one of the victims told reporters.
The police also recovered a bullet-riddled body of
police a constable from a graveyard in Malir while another one
person was shot dead in Ranchore Lines area.
As the wave of target killings continued unabated in
the city, the top brass of the Pakistan Rangers told a
parliamentary committee they could eliminate this menace in a
month`s time if they were given more powers and a free hand.
"The Pakistan rangers can eliminate this menace if
they are given a helicopter, 800 bulletproof jackets and a
free hand in Karachi," a source quoted an official
telling the parliamentary committee.
The Express Tribune newspaper reported that the
rangers force is facing financial troubles and requires close
to half a billion rupees and a new helicopter to replace its
old one, which was grounded last month.
The daily quoted official documents saying the demand
was made during a closed-door briefing given to a
parliamentary body which had visited Karachi.
The meeting was said to have been called to discuss
the issue of target killings, and deputy director-general
(DDG) of the Rangers briefed the parliamentary panel on the
overall law and order situation.
"If the government of Sindh gives us free hand, we can
stop the situation of targeted killing within one month," a
determined DDG Rangers was said to have claimed in the
meeting, adding that the force was facing serious shortage of
required resources and equipment.
The parliamentary committee has now brought this
demand into the notice of Interior Ministry which is the
controlling authority at the federal level.
PTI
