DESPITE a year-long anti-dacoit operation in upper Sindh’s riverine area, the dacoit factor remains an enigma for the provincial police.

The situation took a new turn on May 5 when the Bugtis, allegedly backed by the Punjab police and equipped with military-grade weapons, infiltrated the riverine area of Rwanti in Ghotki, which lies on the Sindh-Punjab border, adding a new layer of complexity to the ongoing operation.

The recent incident has once again laid bare the seeming helplessness of the Sindh police, sparking outrage among the province’s intelligentsia. The scourge of dacoits has long plagued parts of northern Sindh, with the government’s efforts to eradicate them yielding little success. Despite continued endeavours to tackle the issue, the desired results remain elusive.

The Kalpar Bugtis, led by their chief Jalal Kalpar Bugti, claimed to have exacted revenge for the murder of his 30-year-old son, Abdul Rehman Kalpar, by killing two prominent dacoits from the Shar community and injuring half a dozen others. The incident occurred in the Machhko police station area, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Punjab police. The dacoits killed were identified as Alim alias Almo Shar, brother of Sanu Shar, and Hakim alias Haku Shar.

Rehman Kalpar was ambushed and killed by dacoits on Feb 13 while he was travelling on the CPEC road in Ghotki district. Jalal Kalpar reached out to the Sindh police, seeking their assistance in avenging his son’s murder, according to a senior police officer familiar with the situation.

Dacoit issue remains an enigma for Sindh police

Jalal Kalpar is unapologetic and straightforward in justifying his actions. “I repeatedly reached out to the Ghotki police, but they ignored me. I went to perform Umrah, and upon my return, I was approached by the Punjab police to liaise with them and see how things work,” he told Dawn over phone from Sui in Balochistan.

Jalal alleged that Ghotki police SSP Anwar Khetran made excu­ses, claiming that his force was outgunned by the dacoits, as they only had G-3 and Kalashnikov rifles. However, he added, Mr Khetran did acknowledge that geo-fencing evidence had confirmed the involvement of the Shar community in his son’s murder.

“Punjab police sought help from me in terms of human resource and police would lead the offensive. My men were there as a cover. Finally, Shars were killed in Machko police limits of Punjab. Sindh police didn’t do anything in this offence,” Jalal alleged.

Jalal Kalpar hails from those Bugti families who defied the late Nawab Akbar Bugti and were subsequently displaced from Dera Bugti, settling in Sindh.

Following Rehman’s killing, Jalal declared at a jirga in Sui that he would hold accountable those responsible, specifically targeting Shaharyar Shar, the chieftain of the Shar clan and a former PTI leader who later joined PPP. In an attempt to defuse the situation, Shar reached out to Jalal to clarify his position and maintain neutrality.

“Jalal conveyed message to Shaharyar that if Abid Hussain Jatoi, Abid Sundrani, or Gul Mohammad Jakhrani stand surety for him, only then will he talk to him. Only Gul Mohammad agreed, and he, along with Shaharyar, met Kalpar at his Sukkur residence, but names of Rahib Khan Shar and Sana Shar emerged as those responsible for Rehman’s murder,” a police officer said.

Police post as Bugtis’ base

A former SSP of Ghotki said that before the May 5 incident, Bugtis had started arriving in areas along the Sindh-Punjab border. “They [Bugtis] wanted Bhaya-4 police post vacated by Sindh police. This post is manned by Ghotki police, but the area falls in Punjab’s territorial limits. As they wanted to use this post as their operational base, but didn’t find Ghotki police forthcoming in their response, so they turned to Punjab police eventually,” said the officer.

According to him, the Punjab police permitted the Bugtis to utilise the Camp-2 location, which was situated approximately 800 metres from Sanu Shar’s hideout. “It’s an ideal location from which they can confront the Shars comfortably,” the officer added.

Viral video images revealed that the Bugtis, armed with prohibited and military-grade weapons, disembarked from APCs in the katcha area. The ensuing gun battle, which lasted a couple of days, resulted in the deaths of two Shars and injuries to several others.

The Bugtis then departed. According to a former SSP of Shikarpur, the military-grade weapons used were of 82mm dimension, a type commonly seen in Afghanistan.

Dangerous precedent

Professor Inam Shaikh, an analyst, says, “The incident has set a dangerous precedent.” He urges the Supreme Court to take suo motu notice. “How can state collaborate with private persons? It amounts to creating private militia which otherwise means civil war. Supreme Court must step in to take action against police authorities and criminals for this illegal act,” he insists.

Naseer Memon, a writer, has analysed the situation from the perspective of ‘good dacoits, bad dacoits’ and the economy of the katcha area. “The recent episode of allowing one tribe to attack another in the katcha area can snowball this crime into a tribal warfare. This can flare up a bloodbath,” he says.

He believes that a multi-stakeholder economy, operating behind the scenes, drives the dacoits, kidnapping, and ransom industry in upper Sindh.

A police official reveals that Rahib Shar has been primarily responsible for the kidnapping of people on the CPEC road and other areas. Meanwhile, Sanu Shar has been running a ‘honey trap’ industry in the riverine area. According to another police officer, Rahib Shar is residing in Sindh’s riverine area, while Sanu Shar is based in Punjab’s limits.

“Actually, there is a strip of riverine land stretching over around 3-4km that falls in Sindh but administratively looked after by Rahim Yar Khan administration.

Since Punjab police don’t pay heed to this area much and Sindh police also remain inactive, it has become a sort of ‘no man’s land’ and a safe haven for outlaws,“ claims an SSP from lower Sindh. “Bugtis aim to target Shars as a community, while the actual culprits, Rahib Shar and Sanu Shar, remain out of their reach.”

After the July 28, 2023, killing of notorious dacoits Janu Indher, Soomar Shar, Shahzado Dashti, Nazar Mohammad alias Nazroo alias Kato Shar, and Mubashir alias Mushir Indhar, the Sindh police chief was initially reluctant to take a position.

However, the Sindh police later claimed credit for the operation. Meanwhile, the Punjab police also staked their claim. Nevertheless, the Sindh police asserted their right to the head money of Rs8.5 million fixed by the government against Janu, Soomar, and Shahzado.

After the Bugti’s onslaught on the Shars, Sanu Shar uploaded a video clarifying that he was not involved in Rehman’s murder. However, this failed to appease Jalal Kalpar, who has temporarily withdrawn from the area but remains resolute in his vow to take on the Shars until Rehman’s murderers are killed. “I have no issues with Sindh or the Sindhi people, nor did I have any enmity with the Shars as a community. It is the Ganderi Shars, specifically Sannu, Moriyo, Jamal, and Rahib, who are responsible for my son’s murder. So, my quest for vengeance is far from over,” he declared.

Despite repeated messages and calls, Ghotki SSP Sumair Noor Channa remained unavailable to explain whether criminal cases have been lodged in this regard.

Similarly, Rahim Yar Khan SSP Rizwan Gondal did not reply to questions about how Punjab police are backing private militias to take on outlaws.

A message was also sent to Sindh IG Ghulam Nabi Memon to get his side of the story, but no contact could be established with him.

Published in Dawn, May 12th, 2024