Dealing with dacoits

The menace of dacoits first raised its head in the 1980s — for mysterious reasons. After that there have been numerous police actions against several gangs of dacoits, but the threat has never been entirely eliminated. The police actions have in the past saw varying levels of success with enormous sacrifices rendered by our valiant law-enforcement personnel. The latest operations against these hardened criminals are taking place both in Punjab and Sindh. The northern parts of Sindh and southern parts of Punjab are especially struggling with dacoits who stage a resurgence every now and then. Shikarpur in Sindh and DG Khan in Punjab are witnessing renewed actions and are likely to strike a deathly blow to the gangs operating in those areas. Law-enforcement agencies in Punjab are set to launch a major operation in the tribal areas of D G Khan where the notorious Ladi gang of robbers has been active lately in kidnappings and killings of alleged informants of the police.

The latest operation is a joint effort by the Border Military Police, Counter Terrorism Department, the police and the Rangers. This appears to be a well-coordinated campaign because in the past isolated efforts by different law-enforcement agencies have resulted in massive loss of lives and emboldened the culprits. Some of the areas in southern Punjab, especially in DG Khan, are infamous for their lawlessness. Moreover, influential family and political heads wield enormous powers and practically rule the roost. Some videos recently circulating have shown brutal torture and killings by dacoits operating in those areas with impunity. Essentially, such operations must be supplemented by streamlining the local politics of those areas. Tribal enmities have badly disturbed peace in these regions and need a proper strategy to tackle these, going beyond the ad-hoc arrangement of launching an operation.

The same applies to Sindh where the dacoit problem has generated recurrent violence, and outlaws appear to operate at their will. In the northern districts of Sindh criminal gangs have hideouts that are hard to eliminate in the riverine forests. There have been countless bloody encounters, but they have failed to eradicate the root of the problem. A recent clash left two policemen, a guard, and a photographer dead. With half a dozen others injured, this clash was a stark reminder that the problem remains unsurmountable. Again, just like in Punjab, local influentials are involved in patronizing the criminals. The situation both in Punjab and Sindh requires long-term planning to develop these areas as civilized abodes for citizens to live. Better education and health facilities and top-class training and equipment for local law-enforcement is a must, otherwise this problem will keep recurring.