By ADOPTING a new system, the Dadu district police, with the help of local people, have managed to establish peace in areas where crime was once rampant. A lot of effort has gone into achieving this goal, including the construction of small buildings on the land where dacoits had once made their dens. Since 1985, the law and order situation had hit rock bottom throughout interior Sindh, including in areas like Ghotki, Sukkur, Jacobabad, Shikarpur, Larkana, Khairpur Mirus, Naushehro Feroz Sanghar, Nawab Shah, and the newly-created Jamshoro district.
The hilly track and the Katcho Area were once known as safe haven for dacoits in the Dadu district. After kidnapping people from different towns and villages the dacoits would take them to their dens and similar hide-outs in the Katcho Area along the eastern and western belts of the Indus River. Not so anymore. These days, the operation against criminals is going on in all parts of interior Sindh, but because of poor planning the police haven’t yet completely succeeded in establishing peace in every sense of the word. Still, the situation is not as bad.
In the past, the attitude of the police was not cordial towards the local community, as a result of which people did not support the police during operations against criminals. But the Dadu district (which was known as one of the main criminal belts since 1985 as notorious dacoits would start their crime activity from the very district in areas like Paro Chandio, Laique Chandio, Gulab Jiskani, Nadir Jiskani, Wazir Khushik and Allah Dad Shahani) is now witnessing a change.
Nowadays, local people are supporting the police in order to help them maintain law and order in the Katcho and hilly belts of the district as a result of which the police have succeeded in building their pucca police posts. Dacoits’ dens have been demolished along the Indus River and the Kheer Thar Range. In 1997, in the tenure of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, the army and other law enforcement agencies couldn’t establish their posts during operations for maintaining law and order in potentially dangerous areas, but this is the first time that these areas have been taken control of. The areas include Jhalo, Aminani, Bhand Maarri, Rajo Dero, Khairo Dero, Purano Dero, Moundar, Ismail Ja Bhann, Muhammad Bux Ja Bhann, K.T Jatoi, Saeed Pur, New Goth, Bhand Marri, Rajo Dero of the Katcho Area, Gaaj Banglow, Yaaro Saain, Bhangal Morr, Gorakh Hill Station, Morial Jo Khooh,Shah Godriro, Patti Jamro, Patt Gul Muhammad, Gorani Mountain, Gozo, Dakhani, Madd, Saalari and Khawal Luck along the Kheer Thar Range.
Pucca check posts have been constructed from Dhamrah Wah to Pir Jo Shakh along the Indus Highway. The police have constructed smaller posts and started patrolling the areas. It is said that the encounters against dacoits, search operations and other immediate actions started gaining momentum after the posting of Rukhsar Ahmed Khuhawar as DPO Operations Dadu. The search operation against criminals began from Feb 2, 2005 and is still going on. Consequently, the police have managed to establish law and order throughout the district.
According to the DPO, 51 gang leaders and 56 criminals have so far been arrested; one dacoit got killed; 12 Kilashinkoves, 24 rifles, 34 shot guns, 16 pistols and hundreds rounds of bullets have been recovered from the Katcho and hilly track areas. He says the police have also arrested 400 absconders wanted in different cases. The dacoits arrested are: Ghulam Ali Khaskheli, Liaquat Ali Gujjar, Ghulam Qadir Brohi, Mubarak Lund, Asghar Lund, Abid Chandio, Dildar Chandio, Sanaullah Chandio, Muhammad Hassan Khushik, Ramzam Solangi, Ghulam Rasool, Chandio, Abdul Jabbar Chandio, Jamil Qureshi, Shahnawaz Kori, Abdul Hameed Kalhoro, Jawed Shah, Jawed Ahmed Panhwar, Pasand Alias Pasu Briahmani, Hussain Brihamani, Parwez Mahesar, Nazir Ahmed, Gulab Chandio, Parwez Depar, Aijaz Khoso, Bashir Solangi, Arif Chano, Muhammad Bhand, Qurban Jamali, Fida Hussain Gadhi, Nazir Siyal, Sono Jamali, Muhammad Dawood Chandio, Ali Hyder Khoso, Deedar Chandio, Sikandar Chandio, Laloo Brihamani, Ghulam Nabi Chandio, Muhammad Moosa Khoso, Imamudin Khoso, Muhammad Nawaz Brohi, Nizam-u-din Shahani, Akbar Chandio, Ghulam Rasool, Khursheed Chandio, Gaaji Chandio, Ghulam Muhammad Chandio, Juman Alias Jumu Khoso, Deedar Janwari, Umer Jamali, Muhammad Hafiz and Wazir Ahmed Jamali.
The DPO says 550 policemen were given commando training before they were posted to sensitive places. In addition to that, 1,100 policemen were posted to the Katcho Area.
According to the local people who helped the police achieve their goal, in the span of 20 years the law and order situation has been improved in the Dadu district and the local community is very happy about the actions taken by the law enforcement agencies. However, they believe that the Sindh government should promote the police officers who have actively participated in the encounters during search operations in the district.
Here a question raises its head: Why can’t police officials of other districts in Sindh adopt the same tactics to curb the crime rate in their areas?
By ADOPTING a new system, the Dadu district police, with the help of local people, have managed to establish peace in areas where crime was once rampant. A lot of effort has gone into achieving this goal, including the construction of small buildings on the land where dacoits had once made their dens. Since 1985, the law and order situation had hit rock bottom throughout interior Sindh, including in areas like Ghotki, Sukkur, Jacobabad, Shikarpur, Larkana, Khairpur Mirus, Naushehro Feroz Sanghar, Nawab Shah, and the newly-created Jamshoro district.
