MURDER, kidnapping for ransom and armed robbery have become facts of life for the unfortunate souls residing in the riverine areas of upper Sindh and neighbouring districts of Punjab. Here, bandits have established a reign of terror: armed with heavy weaponry and knowledge of the terrain, they operate with ruthless brutality — looting, abducting and killing as they please. No one is safe: even the police forces of the two provinces — so agile and fearsome when facing down unarmed protesters in the cities — seem helpless when it comes to challenging these violent criminals. Meanwhile, policymakers in Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi continue to dither over how best to deal with the nuisance, even though countless millions have already been poured into efforts to contain them. This week, these armed criminals crossed an unforgivable line. They killed a teacher in the Kandhkot-Kashmore area simply for refusing to quit his duty. Allah Rakhyo Nandwani, who taught at a primary school in the Nasrullah Khan Bijarani village, would have been a national hero had his story been better known. He had repeatedly defied the bandits in his determination to travel to ‘no-go’ areas to educate the children residing there.

Citizens like Allah Rakhyo are an asset to the societies they serve, and it is a matter of shame for those tasked with protecting the citizenry that a dutiful, conscientious citizen lost his life to miscreants and troublemakers. The authorities must be asked: how long will these meaningless ‘clean-up operations’ continue to be rinsed and recycled? Why is it that the ‘progress’ against armed gangs often seems like the state taking one step forward and two steps back? We have been hearing since last year that significant resources and personnel have been allocated to combating the bandit problem. Were these claims just a smokescreen, or did the efforts to establish the state’s writ fail? How long will the people living in the affected areas be left to their fate? Clearly, those tasked with the nation’s internal security are doing an abysmal job in this respect. They must realise that they paint a sorry picture considering that ragtag gangs of goons are so easily outsmarting them. The problem must be dealt with at its source. Those who back, finance, and supply these gangs must be traced and eliminated. This malaise must not spread.

Published in Dawn, March 23rd, 2024