ISLAMABAD , FEB 22, (DNA) – Federal government has approved request of Government of Punjab to deploy Pakistan Rangers in the province for 60 days to eliminate budding terror elements.

Interior Minister, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan chaired a high-level meeting in the federal capital today which was attended by National Security Adviser, Federal Secretary Interior, Punjab Chief Secretary and officials of the provincial government.

Punjab apex committee decides to seek Rangers  assistance in anti-terror operations

During the meeting, deployment of Rangers personnel in Punjab was approved under Section 5 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

Initially, approval of the deployment has come in for 60 days and around 2,000 personnel will take part in the operation.

Rangers will have policing powers as granted to them in Sindh in a targeted operation that was launched in 2013. It should be mentioned here that Punjab resisted exclusive powers for the paramilitary force in the past.

The government moved a request to the federation after a suicide blast on February 13 outside Punjab Assembly claimed 14 lives including that of Deputy Inspector General of Traffic Police, Capt (r) Syed Mobin Ahmad.=DNA

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