LAHORE: Like Shikarpur in Sindh, law-enforcement agencies in Punjab are all set to launch a major operation in the tribal belt of Dera Ghazi Khan, a day after the infamous Ladi gang of robbers allegedly kidnapped and assassinated two ‘local informers’ of the police.

The joint operation is being launched by the Rangers, the Counter Terrorism Department, the police and the Border Military Police (BMP) against 20-member Ladi gang which is a symbol of terror in the tribal area.

Native area of Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, the 52 per cent of DG Khan division territory consists of many tribes where the police policing has never been allowed by influential heads of local tribes.

Prime Minister Imran Khan, during his visit to Layyah on Wednesday, took notice of the killing of the tribesmen by the Ladi gang, with brutal assassination’s video clips going viral.

Some senior police officers briefed the PM on the murder, local issues and criminal activities associated with the tribal politics.

The prime minister directed Punjab IGP Inam Ghani and heads of other law-enforcement agencies to launch a major operation to eliminate the gang.

Outlaws operating in settled and tribal areas since 2002

Earlier on Tuesday a meeting was held in Multan among Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, IGP, chief secretary and other senior police officers in the wake of the murder of tribesmen.

An official well-versed in DG Khan politics and administrative matters told Dawn the historical perspective of the Ladi gang, saying only 48 per cent territory of DG Khan was under the jurisdiction of the Punjab police. He said the large part of DG Khan was under the administrative control of the Border Military Police (BMP).

The BMP is operating under a political agent who belongs to the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) and reports directly to the DG Khan deputy commissioner.

Though the tribal area had been declared tehsil a year back, the policing was not allowed there due to the interference and influence of local landlords and heads of various powerful tribes, he said.

Among them the chiefs (Sardars) of Leghari, Khosa, Buzdar, Gorchani and Lund tribes are the most influential because of being in politics at the provincial and national levels.

The official said these landlords had been opposing the police policing in the 52pc territory of the DG Khan in order to keep their monopoly intact.

The official said the BMP largely consisted of civilian tribes of the same area who had not been trained and professional enough to fight dangerous gang of bandits.

Unlike the BMP, the gang was relatively better equipped with weapons like rocket launchers, AK-47 guns, Kalashnikovs etc, he said.

According to the police report prepared after the merciless killing of the tribesmen on Wednesday, the gang involved in kidnap and murder of locals was from the same belt, using hideouts in the hilly area of Koh-e-Sulaiman.

It said at around 10:30am, massively equipped 10 members of the gang attacked the house of Khair Mohammed alias Khairo. At that time Khairo, Ramzan and Khadim Hussain were present there.

The robbers surrounded the house and opened indiscriminate fire on the house. Khairo and his fellows retaliated the fire that continued for about 30 minutes.

Khairo died on the spot while other two surrendered to the gang. They later took them to Dara Safaido, the tribal area jurisdiction of Kashoba police station, manned by the BMP, according to the report.

Afterwards, Ramzan was brutally tortured and then butchered. The act was filmed and uploaded on social media.

The report stated the Ladis believed the two men were police informers.

The official said the gang, operating in settled and tribal belt since 2002, would commit crime in the settled area of DG Khan as well and then flee to Koh-e-Sulaiman hills to avoid arrests.

He said the police high-ups had taken the issue at the top level to declare the 52 per cent inaccessible tribal belt as ‘settled area’ for police policing but each time the request was turned down.

Recently, the police had submitted a proposal to the Punjab government to appoint a superintendent of police (SP) to head the BMP but this suggestion went unnoticed.

The official said the gang was involved in heinous crime, including kidnap for ransom, extortion, robberies and dacoities in tribal and settled areas of DG Khan.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2021