ISLAMABAD, April 10: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar on Sunday held talks with the ruling PML-N lawmakers in a bid to break the civil-military impasse over the Rangers refusal to move at forward positions during Kacha operation in Punjab.
Nisar summoned PML-N lawmakers for meetings after Punjab Rangers refused to take part in an operation at forward positions at Kacha areas of the province. The Kacha operation is ongoing with the support from Rangers as well as the Pakistan Army but Punjab Police is fighting at forward positions. Rangers have so far established pickets around riverine islands and besieged Kacha areas from the Punjab side, according to the latest information shared by the government’s top representatives.
However, sources say the Punjab Rangers have conveyed their refusal to move at forward positions to high-ups of the provincial government. The Rangers maintain that as their mandate is to facilitate Punjab police, they will only establish pickets around the islands.
“Rangers say that without legal cover they cannot participate in the operation and so police has to take the forward positions,” a source said.
Apart from the Rangers, the Pakistan Army intends to provide support to the operation by offering helicopter services. However, the military is also reluctant to do so due to non-availability of legal cover, sources added.-Agencies