Pak Rangers operation in Isloo.
By RIZWAN SHEHZAD
Oct.02,2017
ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal threatened on Monday to resign after he and senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leaders were barred from entering an accountability court trying deposed premier Nawaz Sharif.
Iqbal, Talal Chaudhry, Pervaiz Rashid, Raja Zafarul Haq and Danial Aziz were accompanying the deposed premier for his second appearance before a NAB court. However, only Nawaz was allowed entry inside the court premises.
Speaking to the media outside the court, Iqbal said, “This morning the chief commissioner informed me Rangers have taken control of the command and barred entry to anyone except Nawaz Sharif.”
Upholding that closed door trials were only held during martial law, the interior minister announced strict action against those who “challenged the writ of the government.” Iqbal said, “Rangers is a force under the Interior Ministry and are supposed to work under the command of the civil administration.”
“I will resign as interior minister if not established who deployed Rangers as they’re supposed to be taking orders from me.” He added, I cannot be a puppet interior minister,” Iqbal announced.
“There can’t be a state within state”, the interior minister said while adding that it is Nawaz’s right to go inside with his lawyers and aides.
The Islamabad deputy commissioner had received a letter from the SSP Operations wherein the latter had requested the deployment of Rangers at the court for Nawaz’s appearance on October 2, the commissioner’s spokesperson said in a statement issued later in the day. However, after the deputy commissioner and the SSP operations discussed the matter, no further action was taken, he added. The Rangers were neither deployed in court premises on Monday on the deputy commissioner’s order, nor requisitioned by the ICT Administration, the spokesperson maintained.