Sindh cabinet decides to clear riverine areas of dacoits after Shikapur incident

The Sindh cabinet on Tuesday decided to clear the katcha (riverine) area of dacoits after the Shikapur incident in which the outlaws martyred two police personnel and a photographer during an operation to free hostages.

A day earlier it was reported that the outlaws attacked an armoured personnel carrier (APC) with rockets and anti-aircraft guns, killing the policemen and injuring several others.

Shikarpur SSP Ameer Saud Magsi confirmed the casualties in the operation. But, he claimed that six dacoits had also been killed.

Whilst presiding a meeting at the CM House today, Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said: “We can’t comprise and will take action against the dacoits, their facilitators and those who provide them shelter.”

The meeting also decided to conduct the security operation in the riverine areas of Shikapur, Kashmore and Kandhkot where a large number of dacoits, belonging to different tribes, had made their base of operations. Abductees are also held in these areas.

According to media reports, at least 13 people have been recently kidnapped and are being kept in the Shikarpur area.

After the cabinet decision, the Sindh Police is repotedly planning a 'grand operation', with deputy inspector-generals of Larkana and Sukkur tasked to take action.

There were reports that the provincial government would also get help from Sindh Rangers and Army in the operation, but a spokesperson for CM house said, "there were deliberations on it, but have not yet decided to conduct the operation with the help of Army or the paramilitary force”.

Read more: Influential tribal chief held in Karachi for ‘abetting’ Shikarpur bandits

Police of two divisions – Sukkur and Larkana – would lead it (the operation)," he added.

The Sindh cabinet also expressed its concerns over the shortage of water supply in Sindh. “Giving less water to Sindh is tantamount to hostility towards the province,” the cabinet stated.

Earlier, police arrested Tegho Khan Teghani, chief of his Teghani tribe, along with his sons and other associates from Karachi over their alleged involvement in the Shikarpur incident.

The accused were arrested from the Gulistan-e-Jauhar area of the metropolis.

SSP Magsi told the media that the influential tribal chief and his sons are involved in kidnapping for ransom cases and claimed that they also provide protection to bandits.

"The dacoits in Garhi Tegho area of Shikapur where police conducted an operation on Sunday to free abductees have also connected with the tribal chief," the SSP said, adding that outlaws with latest weapons and antiaircraft guns attacked police and martyred cops and a civilian photographer who facilitated the police in operation.

"We have arrested them following the registration of FIR [first information report] of recent killing in Shikarpur wherein we have nominated them as the facilitator of the dacoits," he added.