ISLAMABAD -  The misunderstanding between the Rangers, a paramilitary force, and the civilian administration have widened further following the former’s decision to unilaterally withdraw from security duties of the Parliament.

Meanwhile, the interior ministry has sought an explanation from director general (DG) Rangers Punjab over the action of the force to take over Islamabad’s accountability court last Monday at a time when former prime minister Nawaz Sharif appeared before it in connection with the NAB references against him.

Sources in the Parliament House informed The Nation that Rangers unilaterally withdrew security from the parliament house after Monday’s fiasco outside the accountability court.

The high ups of the police security deployed at the parliament in a written communication have conveyed about this to the speaker and the deputy speaker offices of the National Assembly.

A security official deployed at the Parliament House said that the Rangers had not reached their duties for the last two days.

A senior police officer, while talking to The Nation said that the DIG (Security) had informally conveyed to the ICT Administration that Rangers had not turned up for the stationary duty during the National Assembly session for the last two days. The DIG (Security) oversees the security of the Parliament.

On Monday, the Rangers had taken over the premises of the accountability court restricting the entry of federal ministers and media persons into the court room.

The district administration declared the action of the paramilitary force, which is under the administrative control of the Ministry of Interior, as unlawful saying that it had not asked it to take control of security of the court premises.  The Interior Minister, Ahsan Iqbal, also reached outside the court premises and he had to say that “Pakistan was not a banana republic rather a constitutional country”, when he was also denied entry into the court premises.

He also ordered an inquiry into the matter and threatened to resign saying if he would prefer to resign than to become a “puppet minister”.

According to sources, the district administration has conveyed to the inquiry committee that the Rangers acted unlawfully as it had not asked it to take over the control of the main entry gate of the court.

Islamabad Chief Commissioner Zulfiqar Haider in his reply to the interior ministry has informed that Rangers did not get orders from the district administration rather it acted under the instructions of its own high command.

The sources said that the inquiry committee had endorsed the point of view of the chief commissioner and the same had been submitted to the interior minister.

After going through the findings of the inquiry, the interior minister in a letter written to the DG Rangers Punjab has sought explanation from him within 72 hours.

The interior ministry in the letter has asked from the DG Rangers as to who had ordered the force to take over the main gate of the court. On the issue of withdrawal of Rangers security, the sources said that Islamabad chief commissioner in a briefing to the interior minister had informed that Rangers had withdrawn the security from the Parliament on their own.

Rangers have told the administration that it should be conveyed in black and white if latter wanted security for the Parliament House.

The sources said that the minister had directed that Frontier Constabulary should be deployed at the Parliament House for security as some of its troops were already at the disposal of the ICT Administration.

The Rangers are already at the disposal of the district administration in aid to the local police. However, the force is deployed under the instructions of the ICT Administration. In 2014, Rangers had also unilaterally withdrawn security from the parliament house when Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) had been holding protest sit-ins outside the parliament house.

A spokesperson of the interior ministry did not comment on the issue, while director media National Assembly could not be reached despite repeated attempts.

State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhry, while talking to a private television channel said that an explanation had been sought from DG Rangers after outcome of an inquiry.

However, the minister did not confirm whether Rangers withdrew security on their own or were sent back.