Police and Rangers officials jointly chaired a meeting on Saturday, where they were briefed on a comprehensive operation against bandits and their support network in the Katcha area.
The meeting, led by DIG Javed Jiskani and attended by Rangers officials, received detailed operational briefings. The officials informed that Pakistan Army troops and intelligence agencies would also participate in this operation.
This operation will cover both the katcha and pakka areas and will continue until the forces completely eradicate the bandits. During the operation, network providers will suspend mobile phone and internet services in the Katcha areas, as indicated in the meeting’s briefing.
All entry and exit points in the area will be subject to thorough scrutiny during the katcha area operation, as officials informed.
Earlier, the Sindh Cabinet, under the leadership of Chief Minister Maqbool Baqar, had decided to launch an operation in the Katcha area with the participation of police, Rangers, and Army troops. The caretaker chief minister also ordered the termination of internet services in the Katcha area.
During the briefing, IG Police informed the cabinet that kidnappers had abducted 218 individuals this year, and authorities successfully recovered 207 of them. However, 11 individuals still remained hostages, with three in Shaheed Benazirabad, seven in Larkana, and one in Sukkur district.
Chief Minister Maqbool Baqar directed for the prompt recovery of the remaining hostages and emphasized the deployment of police officers with good reputations in the Katcha area. He suggested transferring those who fail to perform their duties adequately.
