SADIQABAD: Authorities from Punjab and Sindh have jointly launched a major operation targeting bandit groups in the Katcha area, according to police officials on Tuesday.
Law enforcement agencies have sealed off the regions infested with bandits and are advancing their efforts with the help of cutting-edge technology. Reports indicate that 62 high-profile bandits have surrendered to the police, and over 50 of their associates have been detained. The surrendered criminals include members of the Lund, Kosh, Lathani, and Sekhani gangs, police confirmed.
Punjab and Sindh police chiefs, including DIG Ghazi Salahuddin, stated that the operation involves around 2,000 officers, eight drone teams, six armored vehicles, and numerous bulletproof carriers. DIG Salahuddin urged the outlaw groups to lay down arms voluntarily, assuring them that surrendered bandits will be treated leniently and produced before courts. “Those who oppose the state will face strict action,” he emphasized.
Earlier, police announced that the operation was initiated in Machhka near Punjab’s border and the Rownti forest in Sindh’s Katcha region. Scores of bandits fled their hideouts after drone strikes destroyed several of their bunkers.
Officials assured that the crackdown would continue until the bandit gangs are fully eradicated and peace is restored in the area.
Sindh IG Javed Alam Odho revealed that the operation is primarily intelligence-based and that assistance from Punjab Police will be sought to ensure a comprehensive crackdown.
He emphasized that efforts are underway to permanently resolve the issue of banditry in Katcha. “Bandits who surrender will be spared and can seek legal relief,” he added. “They will also be compensated for their weapons,” the IG stated.
However, he warned that those refusing to surrender will face stern action, and the police will continue their tough stance until peace is restored in the region.
