KAR ACHI: As the Pakistan R angers, Sindh, on Wednesday termed the recent advertisement about `missing` persons published in some newspapers `a conspiracy against peace and a move to damage their public image`, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah said that due notice of the issue had been taken and if some individual was found involved in it, he would be taken to task.

The controversial advertisement published on Tuesday also shook the home department and police authorities who suspended the relevant superintendent of police in his absence a day after a similar order had been issued for his subordinate officer of DSP rank,while the counterterrorism department additional inspector-general of police was directed to submit an inquiry report of the matter within seven days.

The ad published by police had sought public assistance in tracing at least six `missing` persons allegedly taken away by `unknown Rangers` from Orangi Town.

According to the spokesperson for the paramilitary force, `Under a strategy, Rangers` `superb performance was being degraded before the eyes of the masses [through the ad] whose purpose was to undermine the Karachi operation.

`Contents of the ad were absolutely based on lie,` the officer said, adding that the Rangers started a probe into it and vowed to go to the depth of the matter.

The paramilitary force also warned that they reserved a right to take a legal course against such baseless propaganda, as the ad related to `the recovery of some missing persons issued by a local police officer was a conspiracy against peace in Karachi,the officer said.

The matter was taken up seriously at the highestlevelin the provincial government hierarchy as Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah toldthe media af ter the closing ceremony of the three-day Urs of Hazrat Abdullah Shah Ghazi that due notice of the ad about the Rangers had been taken.`If someone is found involved individually, he would be taken to task, said Mr Shah.

The chief minister appealed to the media not to create misunderstanding between the Rangers and the police, as the services of both institutions deserved appreciation for restoring peace to Karachi.

DIG-West Feroze Shah also believed that the ad was a conspiracy to damage the working relationship between the police and the Rangers. He told Dawn that it was because of better coordination between the two law enforcement agencies that peace had been restored to the metropolis and they would strive to further improve coordination.

SHC directions DIG Shah explained that there were Sindh High Court directions to issue advertisements in the media about `missing` persons whose investigation was the responsibility of DSP rank officers.

Such ads or `hue and cry notices` as they are called in technical parlance -are issued to the media with a picture or a description of the supposed `missing` person. In such cases, the police tend to seek public assistance by merely stating that such a person has been `missing` from his home and if anyone has relevant information, they should inform the police.

However, the senior officer said that in this particular case, the DSP concerned committed a `mistake by design or by default` by mentioning `unknown Rangers`. `By doing so, the DSP Orangi concerned undermined the investigation,` he believed.

Suppose, the DIG said, if they were in the custody of the Rangers, then there was no need to give ads in the newspapers.

The senior officer said the DSP concernedsenttheadcontenttotheOrangi SP who also without examining it forwarded the ad to the Sindh information department to release it to newspapers.

`Both DSP and SP Orangi might have acted with mala fide intentions,` said the DIG West. Therefore, he said, an inquiry had been initiated by the higher authorities. The home department late Wednesday night issued a notification about the suspension of SP Latif Siddiqi, who was abroad, while Orangi Town DSP Fakhrul Islam had already been suspended the previous day over the controversy.

Karachi-West SSP Azfar Mahesar told Dawn that the FIRs of `missing` persons were not registered against the Rangers. He said SP Orangi investigation LatifSiddigisentsuchnotices to the information department on Sept 21, which got published on Oct 6. SP Latif Siddiqi is stated to be the part of a joint investigation team (JIT) probing the Baldia factory fire and was reportedly along with his team members in Dubai to record the statement of the factory owners.

Meanwhile, Sindh police chief Ghulam Hyder Jamali appointed Counter-Terrorism Department Additional IG Dr Sanaullah Abbasiinquiry officer with a direction to conduct impartial probe and submit a detailed report within seven days, according to a notiñcation issued by the police.

Meanwhile, responding to a question about the publication of the controversial advertisement, senior Minister for Information Nisar Khuhro said it had been sent by a senior police officer and the information department released it as per past practice without making any changes to it.

The minister, who was talking to journalists afterthelaunchofveteran journalist the late S.R. Ghauri`s bool< `Let the people judge` at the Karachi Press Club, said the information department made no changes to advertisements as it played the role of a postman by forwarding it for publication.

Mr Khuhro said all the departments ought to review contents of advertisements critically before sending it to the information department for publication.