Crime in Kashmore

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In Kashmore, Kandhkot, Tangwani, Badani and Ghouspur towns of Kashmore district, 'peace' is merely a brief interval of fear, insecurity and uncertainty between murders, kidnappings and extortion. Even these periods of peace are fleeting. In the past week, five people were killed within three days in Kandhkot and its surroundings, not to mention extortions and robberies. These incidents are a fraction of the criminality sweeping across the district, suggesting an alarming criminal rot. Equally alarming is the scant attention this criminality receives in mainstream media.

With a vast riverine area, Kashmore has long been a refuge for criminal gangs which launch their activities and then retreat to the safety of the challenging kutcha terrain. However, the threat from dacoits has recently escalated. Armed with advanced weaponry, emboldened by weak governance, and aided by patrons and intermediaries, bandit gangs operate with impunity, carrying out kidnappings for ransom, extortion, brutal killings, house trespassing and highway robberies.

Until recently, they would often hold dozens of captives at once. Currently, three people — including a Hindu rice trader — are still in the custody of criminals. A recent decline in kidnappings has led to a troubling increase in another form of crime in the district: extortion. For over a year, hundreds of businesses and affluent residents have been subjected to demands for extortion ranging from Rs200,000 to Rs20 million.

The Hindu business community has been particularly affected, with reports indicating that half of Hindu businessmen have received extortion chits or phone calls. Those who dare resist these demands often face severe consequences. Many have had their businesses attacked, and some have even been injured and a few killed.

Kashmore and Kandhkot stand out as particularly notorious in the province - perhaps in the entire country. These brutal acts, including tribal feuds, kidnapping for ransom, street crimes, extortion and highway robberies, have jeopardised both the security of citizens and the economic activities of the district.

Several factors contribute to this notoriety: the rugged terrain and topography, unbridled feudal and tribal influences, and underprivileged socio-economic conditions. Additionally, the near absence of a middle class eliminates the possibility of a potential movement against the ongoing criminal impunity and state apathy.

The district police, heavily influenced by local elites and often under-equipped, struggle to take effective action against crime and restore order. To conceal their inaction amid rising crime rates and prevent mainstream attention, the police often collude with local media, offering them undue influence over policing and various favours. This prevents the situation from gaining the attention it deserves from the provincial and federal stakeholders and ultimately adds to crime. Although digital platforms offer some substitute, they are not too effective in bringing these issues to light.

The citizens of the district have, over the years, responded to rising criminality with frequent peaceful protests and occasional closures of roads and markets. Additionally, peace activists, along with religious, political and nationalist parties, have organised demonstrations in Sukkur and, more recently, in front of Karachi Press Club.

Now, the citizens of Kandhkot, and other towns, stage demonstrations almost regularly and demand restoration of peace and order in the district. Despite the citizens' activism — and much to their utter dismay -—the criminal activity shows no signs of abating.

It seems the provincial authorities and the state have abdicated their responsibility to protect the lives and livelihoods of the district's vulnerable citizens, who endure chronic criminality? Desperate citizens of the district demand an urgent intervention and decisive action against criminals, their patrons and beneficiaries.