The Caretaker Sindh Government has decided to launch massive operation against dacoits in Sindh’s Katcha area with the help of Pakistan Army, Police and the Rangers to eliminate menace of kidnapping of the innocent people.
The decision was made in a cabinet meeting held here at Chief Minister House on Thursday with Caretaker Chief Minister Justice (R) Maqbool Baqar in the chair.
The cabinet also accorded approval for extension of Rangers stay for another 6 months in Sindh from September 14, 2023 to February 2024.
The Inspector General Police Sindh Riffat Mukhtar briefed the Cabinet about overall law and order situation in the province with special reference to kidnapping for ransom cases and informed that during current year 2023, as many as 218 people had been kidnapped out of them 207 have so far been recovered.
There are 11 people still under the captivity of the kidnappers, the IG told the meeting and said of these 11 people seven were from Larkana, 3 from Shaheed Benazirabad and one from Sukkur districts.
The IG told the cabinet that Naveed Lashari waskidnapped from Jacobabad, Sagar Kumar
from Garhi Yaseen, Qadeer, Zaheer, Gulbahar from Kashmore and Shahid and Jabbar from Sukkur, Soomar from Qasimabad, Hyderabad and Farhan and Shahid were made hostage by dacoits from Naushehro Feroze.
The Caretaker Chief Minister Maqbool Baqar asked the IG Police and other law enforcement agencies for early release of all remaining hostages from their captors.
The cabinet also decided to launch a Police operation against dacoits and drug mafia in Katcha and other areas of the province with the help of the Pakistan Army, Rangers and Anti Narcotics Force as it was the duty of the government in office to provide a peaceful and secure environment to the people of the province.
Maqbool Baqar ordered authorities to suspend internet services in katcha (riverine) areas of the province as part of law enforcement agencies intensify operations against bandits holding people hostage in such areas.
The directives from the provincial chief executive came a day after Sindh’s caretaker Minister for Law and Human Rights, Muhammed Umar Soomro, issued a stern warning that any feudal lord or politician found to be associated with dacoits would be subject to legal proceedings.