July 07, 2008	Monday	Rajab 3, 1429

SHIKARPUR, July 6: The Pakistan People’s Party government is determined to protect peoples’ life, honour, and property and a clean-up operation has been launched against criminal elements in the province.

Sindh Home Minister Zulfiqar Ali Mirza said this at a press conference at the DPO Office here on Sunday.

The minister said the Sindh government had planned an operation against outlaws in five phases and three phases had passed. He advised criminals to surrender. No concession would be given to criminals after the passage of forth phase, if they did not surrender voluntarily, he warned.

He assured that if they surrendered themselves before the police they will not be killed in ‘fake encounters’, and would not be implicated in ‘false cases’.

The minister urged criminals involved in heinous crimes to avail this opportunity and surrender themselves before the law. He said it could improve their chances of living a life as a peaceful citizen. And it would also be better for their families, he added.He said the law and order situation had deteriorated in Sindh due to wrong policing policy adopted in the past.

He said unfortunately the poor law and order had gripped the Shikarpur district where common man was suffering from a sense of insecurity.

He hoped that no incident of kidnapping and other heinous crime would occur in Shikarpur after the appointment of new DPO Khadim Rind.

The minister said that more than 700 policemen had been deployed at various places to conduct the clean-up operation against outlaws in the Shikarpur district and added that the surgical operation would be conducted through police till the full restoration of peace and calm in the district. On the occasion, a notorious dacoit Papoo alias Ali Murad, son of Tajal Essani, a resident of Choi Shakh taluka Shikarpur, surrendered before the minister.

Papoo Essani was wanted in 32 serious crimes, including murder, highway robberies, police encounters, theft and other crimes.

Earlier, the home minister held a meeting with police officers of Sukkur region and discussed related matters with them.