Two kidnapped girls recovered after raid

Three people, including a minor boy, were killed during the shootout

SUKKUR: Two kidnapped girls were recovered after an exchange of fire between outlaws and the police in Anwarabad Muhalla on Saturday, claimed the Shikarpur and Ghotki police.

A heavy contingent of Shikarpur and Ghotki police received information about the presence of a girl, Fazila Sarki, who was kidnapped from Thull town of Jacobabad more than eight years ago. The team raided and cordoned off Anwarabad Muhalla situated in the centre of Ghotki, where the outlaws opened fire at the police.

As a result, two policemen - Ali Asghar Ghoto and Nisar Sadhayo - were injured. The police retaliated and an exchange of fire ensued, in which three people, including minor Shahzaib Channa, were killed while three others were injured. One of the other two deceased men was identified as Haq Nawaz Ghoto.



Nonetheless, the police soon discovered that none of the recovered girls, who are sisters, was Fazila Sarki.

Ghotki SSP Saqib Sultan Mehmood, while talking to the media men in Ghotki, said that the raid was conducted on secret information regarding the presence of Fazila Sarki in the house of Jan Mohammad Lolai and Jatoi Lolai, both of whom are sons of notorious dacoit Moso Lolai. He claimed that the armed men in the house opened fire on the police. In the resulting crossfire, three passers-by were killed.

Abdul Razzaq Sarki, the father of Fazila Sarki, who was informed by Jacobabad SSP Sajid Khokhar about the recovery of the girls, immediately rushed to Shikarpur from Thull. However, according to sources, he failed to identify the girl as Fazila Sarki, saying that she bore the mark of a cut on her right foot, which was not visible on the foot of the recovered girl, who the police thought was Fazila Sarki.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 20^th, 2016.