Violence, crime unabated in Larkana despite Katcha operation

The ongoing police operation against bandits in the Katcha region of Larkana Division, which has been active for the past two years, continues to struggle, with violent crimes such as murder, kidnapping for ransom, and robberies reaching alarming levels.

A report from the Larkana DIG’s office, obtained by Express News, highlights the deteriorating security situation across the division's five districts over the past nine months.

During this period, 421 individuals were killed, and 472 were injured in violent incidents.

In the breakdown, 89 people were killed in Larkana district, 82 in Qambar-Shahdadkot, 61 in Jacobabad, 80 in Kashmore-Kandhkot, and the highest number—109—were reported in Shikarpur.

Additionally, 12 police officers, including senior officials, were killed, and 42 were severely injured in the line of duty.

The report also noted that 852 alleged police encounters took place, in which 52 suspects were killed, and 174 were injured and subsequently arrested.

The police successfully apprehended over 7,231 wanted and fugitive criminals during the same period.

Kidnappings remain a serious concern, with 276 abductions and 72 kidnappings for ransom reported in the last nine months.

While police were able to rescue 69 kidnapped individuals, they have yet to recover kidnapped police officer Muhammad Ismail Shar from Shikarpur district.

The report further revealed that over 390 million rupees worth of property and valuables were looted from citizens across Larkana Division, with only 50 million rupees recovered.

Sources indicated that many kidnapping victims paid millions in ransom to secure their release.

In some cases, those unable to pay were killed, with their bodies dumped in nearby areas.

Recently, Pakistan's Punjab's province also faces a surge in robbery sparking widespread concern in Jhelum where crime has become a daily occurrence with a lone gunman robbing a general store and three armed men steeling a Honda 125 motorcycle.

Multan city has also experienced an upsurge in street crime as a number of robberies and thefts were re-ported across different police station limits on September 26 alone.

Police confirmed that several individuals, including two from the Bugti tribe, remain in the captivity of various bandit groups, with victims hailing from different provinces across the country.