Katcha area dacoit with Rs10m bounty surrenders in Rahim Yar Khan

Notorious outlaws are involved in heinous crimes including murder, kidnapping for ransom, attacks on police

Notorious Katcha area dacoit Mera Lathani, carrying Rs10 million head money, surrendered to police along with his accomplices Fida alias Rathor Lathani and Zulfi Lathani, in Rahim Yar Khan.

According to the Punjab police spokesperson, the surrender came as police tightened noose around criminals in the Katcha area under the leadership of District Police Officer Irfan Ali Samoon.

The Punjab government had declared Lathani a dangerous proclaimed offender, with his accomplices also wanted. The dacoits are involved in murder, attacks on police, kidnapping for ransom, among other heinous crimes, the police spokesperson said.

Read: Sindh launches major operation against Katcha area bandits, warns of strict action

DPO Samoon stated that doors are open for those who lay down arms and move towards a peaceful life. “Those who surrender will be given a full opportunity to live a better life,” he said.

He added that police are fully committed to protecting the life and property of the people and suppressing criminals, adding that intelligence-based targeted actions and operations against criminals in the Katcha area are still ongoing.

The development comes amid intensified operations against Katcha dacoits across the country. Earlier on Wednesday, Sindh Interior Minister Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjar announced the launch of a major operation against riverine bandits, warning that those who refuse to surrender and challenge the writ of the state would be eliminated.

This is not the first time such high-profile bandits have laid down their weapons. In October last year, at least 72 wanted Katcha area dacoits from Sindh’s Shikarpur district surrendered. Many of those outlaws were carrying bounties on their heads, and officials described the move as a turning point for an area long plagued by crimes, fear, and lawlessness.

The decision was part of President Asif Ali Zardari’s landmark surrender policy, approved in 2024, as part of a broader initiative aimed at ensuring sustainable peace and reclaiming the Katcha areas, which fall under the Sukkur and Larkana divisions. Under the policy, surrendered bandits must first face pending criminal cases before being included in the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP).