Zardari offers amnesty to riverine dacoits

President Asif Ali Zardari has offered an amnesty to riverine dacoits in the districts of Larkana and Sukkur divisions, asking them to shun criminal activities and lead a normal life.

Chairing a meeting on Monday in Sukkur attended by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, IGP Sindh Ghulam Nabi Memon, DG Ranger Sindh Maj Gen Azhar Waqas and others, the president underlined that the government would not allow worsening of the law and order situation in Sindh.

He said the criminals - not hardened outlaws - who are willing to surrender, should be gradually brought into the mainstream and rehabilitated. Zardari said he wants to see them become responsible and productive citizens.

However, he directed the law enforcement officials to strike hard against the criminals involved in heinous crimes or those who raised arms against the law enforcement authorities.

The president also asked the provincial government to construct a road network in the riverbed areas and build health and education infrastructure to improve the socio-economic conditions of the people.

Zardari advised the Sindh government to engage the tribal chiefs for dissuading criminal elements from kidnapping and looting people in the riverine areas.

He asked the Sindh government to modernize the police force through training, technology, weapons, logistics and human resources so that they could effectively meet the security challenges in the province.

Zardari said diligent cops should be offered incentives, adding, “We also need to encourage women to join the Sindh police.”

The president also directed the government to expedite the upgrading of Sakrand Police Commando School and provide land for the establishment of a cadet college for the police. He also appreciated the police and rangers for their roles in controlling crimes in the province.

Speaking about the fallen gates of the Sukkur Barrage, he declared the engineering structure on the Indus River as a national asset which ought to be protected and rehabilitated.

The IGP and DG Rangers briefed Zardari about implementation on his directives about the security situation. The officials claimed that the continuous action of LEAs had led to a consistent drop in the overall crimes in Karachi and the riverine areas.

The IGP said there is a let-up in the criminal activities of the dacoits as no highways related crime was reported over the past two months. It was highlighted that the targeted operations and installation of the smart cameras had helped control crimes.