The Sindh Apex Committee, comprising civil and military officials, met on Friday to review the law and order situation in the riverine areas of Sindh. During the meeting, the details of a large-scale operation to be conducted by the police and Rangers against dacoit gangs in the affected districts of upper Sindh were approved and finalized.
The need for such an operation has been acknowledged multiple times before. In March, the then cabinet led by Murad Ali Shah approved a grand operation to clean up the riverine areas. Recently, the caretaker cabinet also discussed the matter and decided to launch a massive operation along with an internet services shutdown. Now, the 28th meeting of the Apex Committee has once again approved a comprehensive joint operation with the army and Rangers to tackle dacoits in the riverine areas. This time, the meeting included a detailed discussion on the operation plan.
The meeting, chaired by caretaker Chief Minister retired Justice Maqbool Barar, was attended by Corps Commander Lt Gen Babar Iftikhar, Chief Secretary Dr Fakhre Alam, Rangers Director General Maj Gen Azhar Waqas, Inspector General of Police Riffat Mukhtar, caretaker Law Minister Omer Soomro, Home Secretary Iqbal Memon, and others.
It was reported that the Rangers had already been deployed alongside the police in upper Sindh districts, and their crackdown on organized weapon smuggling had led to the seizure of the first cache of military-grade weapons in Ghotki. The Inspector General of Police presented a comprehensive joint operation plan to clear hideouts in the riverine area, with aerial support from the army.
The meeting disclosed that 18 forward base camps with 50 personnel each were being established in Ghotki, Kashmore, Shikarpur, and Sukkur. Additionally, 400 police check posts were being set up, and 3,200 policemen had already been deployed at 210 of these posts.
During the meeting, it was also revealed that the dacoit gangs had halted the construction of the Ghotki-Kashmore bridge. In response, the Corps Commander instructed the Rangers and police to immediately reach the site and provide security to the construction workers.
The Apex Body discussed the need for sophisticated military-grade weapons such as sniper rifles, grenade launchers, mortars, night vision devices, and drones for the operation. However, it was noted that the procurement of such weapons required a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the interior ministry, which was still pending approval. The Chief Secretary was directed to approach the interior ministry to expedite the issuance of the NOC for the procurement of military-grade weapons from the army.
In addition to the operation against dacoit gangs, the Apex Body also addressed the issue of street crime and drug mafia in Karachi. It was reported that 39,884 cases of street crime were recorded in 2013, which increased to 85,502 in 2022, and 61,098 cases in the current year. After a thorough discussion, it was decided to launch a joint operation by the police and Rangers to combat street criminals and drug mafias in the metropolis.
Furthermore, the Rangers Director General briefed the Apex Body on an ongoing operation against illegal hydrants in Karachi. He informed that 27 operations had been conducted across the city, resulting in the dismantling of 27 illegal hydrants and the arrest of 43 individuals.