SUKKUR: Inspector General of Police Ghulam Nabi Memon presided over a high-level meeting in the office of the Sukkur DIG on Monday night and took several major decisions regarding establishment of government’s writ in the riverine and other upper areas of the province.

Senior police officials from Sukkur and Larkana ranges as well as Rahim Yar Khan and Bahawalpur attended the meeting, held in the backdrop of a fierce battle in the wee hours of Sunday that had left a DSP, two SHOs and two personnel dead and several other policemen wounded.

The meeting participants included Bahawalpur regional police officer Muneer Ahmed Zia, Sukkur DIG Javed Sonharo Jiskani, Larkana DIG Mazhar Nawaz Sheikh, Ghotki SSP Tanveer Hussain Tunio, Sukkur SSP Singhar Malik and Rahim Yar Khan SSP Akhtar Farooq.

Police chiefs of Ghotki, Kandhkot-Kashmore, Rahim Yar Khan and other districts briefed the meeting about the law and order situation created by heavily armed gangs of outlaws in the region bordering Punjab.

Police, commandos to be provided helicopters and sophisticated weapons: IG Ghulam Nabi Memon

The meeting decided that the Sindh and Punjab police would launch a “grand joint operation” in the gang-infested riverine area in the Ghotki and Rahim Yar Khan districts’ border areas.

The police officers presented their proposals for a joint strategy to ensure success of the operation to establish writ of government in these and Shikarpur districts.

It was decided that all roads and escape routes would be effectively sealed before launching the grand operation. The operation would cover areas between Kandhkot-Kashmore district and the bordering areas of Punjab and Balochistan.

The Sindh-Punjab police force supported by commandos would soon launch the operation simultaneously in the riverine areas of both provinces, it was announced in a communique issued after the meeting.

“The grand operation would continue till achievement of target and restoration of complete peace in these areas,” it added.

The IGP informed the meeting that Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah had already announced allocation of Rs3.5 billion for the procurement of anti-aircraft guns and other sophisticated weapons to combat the gangs of outlaws. The CM had also pledged provision of helicopters, armoured personnel carriers and all other required machinery, equipment and technological support for the purpose, he said.

Bahawalpur RPO Muneer Ahmed Zia, Ghotki SSP Tanveer Hussain Tunio, Sukkur SSP Singhar Malik, Rahim Yar Khan SSP Akhtar Farooq and other police officers shared their views at the meeting.

Ghotki gun battle FIR registered

The Ghotki police on Tuesday registered the FIR of Sunday’s gun battle in which three police officers and two personnel were killed and several other policemen were wounded in the district’s riverine area.

It was earlier claimed by the district police that over 150 outlaws armed with rockets and other sophisticated heavy weapons attacked a police camp at Raunti and engaged the small police force in a fierce battle.

On Tuesday, SHO Asghar Awan of the Raunti police station in Ubauro lodged the FIR against 30 nominated and 70 unknown suspects on behalf of the state for attacking the police camp.

The complainant named Janu Indhar as the ring leader of the gang that had attacked the police. He nominated Rahib Shar, Soomar Shar, Sharif Bhangwar, Raju Shar, Ranu Shar, Shahzado Dasti and Jamil Indhar as some of the nominated gangsters.

They were booked under different sections of the Pakistan Penal Code and Anti-Terrorism Act.

Two Afghan families detained

The Jacobabad police on Tuesday detained two Afghan families for entering the provincial boundary via Balochistan after crossing over the international border without any legal documents.

They were booked under the Foreigners Act and locked up at the Saddar police station.

According to a handout, Rangers personnel patrolling the Sindh-Balochistan border areas intercepted some vehicles carrying two Afghan families and asked the occupants to produce legal travel documents. Upon their failure, they handed them over to the Saddar police.

The detained families comprised 14 men, eight women and 15 children.

Published in Dawn, November 9th, 2022