Katcha dacoits linchpins still at large

Police claim clearing 30,000 acres of land in six months

DERA GHAZI KHAN:

Despite an extensive six-month operation and an expenditure of over one billion rupees, the campaign against dacoits in the Kachha area, directed by the National Security Council and IG Punjab, has yielded mixed results, according to police sources.

During the 180-day operation, 10 robbers were killed, and 38 facilitators were apprehended, with over 40 surrendering in the Dera Ghazi Khan range. Additionally, more than 10,000 police personnel and 11 armored vehicles participated in the initial phase of the operation, resulting in two police commandos being martyred and two others injured.

The operation led to the destruction of over 50 robber hideouts; however, the gang leaders managed to escape to the Sindh and Balochistan regions, evading arrest.

In the 20 years from 1996 to 2016, more than 20 joint operations were conducted by police and law enforcement agencies.

These operations claimed the lives of 42 Rajanpur police personnel, yet the dacoits remained elusive, and the rule of law could not be fully established.

Former National Assembly member Sardar Riaz Khan Mazari had been vocal about the need for a decisive operation against the dacoits, prompting the National Security Council to authorize such an operation.

The campaign against the Kachha area dacoits commenced in April 2023 under the guidance of IG Punjab Dr Usman Anwar.

The operation was monitored by Additional IG South Punjab Maqsood ul Hasan and Regional Police Officer Captain Retired Sajjad Hasan, with intermittent assistance from the Pakistan Army.

The police reported that they managed to clear over 80 percent of the 30,000-acre area during the operation, deploying 11 armored vehicles and establishing checkpoints in cleared areas.

However, despite these efforts, key gang leaders sought refuge in hilly areas in Sindh and Balochistan and have recently become active once more.

Sardar Shamsher Khan Mazari, PTI's National Assembly ticket holder from Rojhan, and local residents expressed concern over the resurgence of dacoit activities, including kidnappings for ransom and extortion.

They alleged that the police have refrained from taking action due to fears of retaliation, as even police stations are not considered safe from dacoit attacks.

To restore peace in the area and eliminate dacoit gangs, they called for the deployment of Rangers at all entry routes to Rojhan and Punjab.

The escalating fear of banditry has forced Rojhan residents to consider migration.

Regional Police Officer Captain Retired Sajjad Hasan Khan assured that the Pakistan Army's support had been instrumental in the operation against dacoits until the end of July. He claimed that the Dera Ghazi Khan Range Police had killed 10 robbers, apprehended 38 facilitators, and received 23 surrenders, while clearing more than 30,000 acres of land. Police checkpoints were established following the elimination of dacoits from their strongholds in Landon Mor and Chak Nabi Shah.

Captain Retired Sajjad Hasan Khan revealed that two police base camps were under construction in Rojhan and Bangla Acha. Additionally, 10 more cemented police posts were in the works, following the Punjab government's directives. Currently, over 1100 officers from the Dera Ghazi Khan Range Police are conducting targeted IBO (intelligence-based operations) against bandits in the Rojhan Kachha area.

Armored vehicles and 25 police and elite commando troops are patrolling the Kachha area around the clock in shifts as part of the operation. Regional Police Officer Captain Retired Sajjad Hasan Khan reiterated the commitment to eliminate bandits from the area and bring the operation to a successful conclusion.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 23^rd, 2023.