Punjab, Sindh chief ministers mull strategy to fight katcha dacoits

Punjab Chief Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi and Sindh Chief Minister Justice (r) Maqbool Baqir attended a meeting at the CM House in Karachi on Thursday and reviewed the progress made in crackdown against dacoits of the katcha area launched jointly by the Punjab and Sindh police, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Sindh Rifat Mukhtar, IGP Punjab Dr. Usman Anwar, Chief Secretary Sindh Dr. Fikr Alam, Chief Secretary Punjab Zahid Akhtar Zaman and other officials were also in attendance.

A strategy was chalked out at the meeting to make crackdown on the bandits more effective.

The meeting decided the locations where police pickets would be set up to keep an eye on dacoits.

Briefing the meeting on the occasion, Punjab IGP said that Ghotki and Kashmore districts in Sindh and parts of Ranipur and Rahim Yar Khan in Punjab were included in the katcha area.

The meeting was told that Sindh’s katcha area was 176 kilometers long and 25 kilometers wide.

The IGP further said there were seven islands in the Ranipur area of Punjab. 

Speaking on the occasion, CM Naqvi said that 56,000 to 66,500 acres of land had been retrieved from outlaws in Punjab. “There are 11 gangs of dacoits in the province, and their total number stands at 600,” he informed.

The chief minister went on to say that nine police camps and 53 pickets had been set up in the province for the purpose.

In his briefing, Sindh IGP said that 210 police pickets were set up in katcha area of the province. “Sindh Rangers is also ready for the operation,” he said.

Sindh chief minister informed that he was going to order a police operation in Ghotki.  

It was decided at the meeting to weaken mobile signals in the katcha area.

It was disclosed that all means of supply of weapons to robbers had been choked. 

Participants of the meeting agreed that they would meet again soon to giving finishing touches to the operation against the outlaws. 

 

Reporter: Aajiz Jamali