Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has announced that the Punjab anti-dacoit operation has successfully eliminated criminal gangs from the Rajanpur and Kachha areas, restoring the writ of the state in regions long affected by fear and insecurity.
Speaking during a meeting on the security situation, she said dacoits had effectively turned the Kachha belt into a state within a state. According to her, local residents lived under constant threat, while kidnappings were carried out through honey traps and other coercive methods. She said the Punjab anti-dacoit operation was launched to end this climate of fear.
Maryam Nawaz said she was informed that carrying out action in the Kachha terrain would be extremely challenging due to its geography. Despite these difficulties, a decisive Punjab anti-dacoit operation was launched in the riverine areas of Rajanpur and Rahim Yar Khan with full coordination among law enforcement agencies.
She said the Pakistan Army provided support to the police during the operation, while advanced technology was used to track criminals. Surveillance tools, including drone cameras and human intelligence, were deployed to monitor the movement of dacoits and identify their hideouts.
The chief minister also thanked the Sindh Police and the Sindh government for extending full cooperation. She said inter-provincial coordination played a key role in ensuring the success of the Punjab anti-dacoit operation.
Maryam Nawaz said the operation has resulted in the complete clearance of dacoits from the area. She confirmed that no lives were lost during the crackdown and said areas once associated with fear have now returned to the control of law enforcement agencies.
She made it clear that there would be no concession for those who challenge the writ of the state. According to her, there is now no place of refuge left for criminals in the Kachha region. She said more than 500 dacoits have surrendered so far, calling it a major achievement of the Punjab anti-dacoit operation.
Concluding her remarks, the chief minister said Punjab is now safer and credited the success of the Punjab anti-dacoit operation to firm leadership, effective policing, and the use of modern surveillance methods.