DERA GHAZI KHAN: Armed gangs of robbers are snatching motorcycles daily in the native district of the Punjab chief minister, while the Border Military Police (BMP) and district police have failed to maintain law and order in the district due to a lack of coordination between them.

Dera Ghazi Khan is administratively divided into two parts — a settled area manned by the Punjab police and the tribal area of Takht Sulaiman tehsil that falls in the jurisdiction of BMP.

Armed robbers committed crime in the area of Punjab police and took refuge in the mountainous Takht Sulaiman area. A lack of coordination between the BMP and provincial police has paved the way for criminals to commit crime freely in the district.

The Ladi gang had last week killed an official of Balochistan Levies in the jurisdiction of Kashoba BMP station when the two forces were sent to recover a stolen car and were attacked by the gang. This is an alarming situation in terms of tribal norms, as the killing of a Levies official by tribal criminals can trigger a clash between the two sides.

On Oct 10, three armed suspects looted the motorcycle of Younas Malghani at gunpoint near Barthi link road. The next day, three motorcycles were snatched at gunpoint in separate incidents. On Oct 12, four armed men snatched the motorcycle of Hafiz Allah Ditta.

On Tuesday, six suspects snatched three motorcycles from Sabir, Waseem and Fiazul Hassan when they were playing volleyball near Dasti bridge. The same day, a motorbike was snatched from Muhammad Arshad Lashari by two armed men, while another was stolen from outside the office Kot Chhuta assistant commissioner.

The newly posted district police officer, Umer Saeed Malik, told Dawn that he was taking stock of the situation. He claimed that liaison between the BMP and district police had been established to pursue armed gangs aggressively, adding that a special task had been given to the Crimes Investigation Agency of the Punjab police to curb crime.

Mr Malik hoped that in coming days, the crime ratio would be reduced due to adaptation of a new strategy.

The deputy commissioner/BMP senior commandant, Tahir Farooq, told Dawn that liaison between the two police forces had been established against criminals, while the services of Rangers would also be acquired. Joint pickets had also been established at entry and exit points of the mountainous region.

Published in Dawn, October 15th, 2020