RAHIM YAR KHAN: A large-scale joint operation has been launched in the katcha areas of Rahim Yar Khan as Punjab and Sindh police, along with Rangers, intensified action against riverine bandits, deploying around 1,700 personnel supported by drones and armoured vehicles.
According to Regional Police Officer (RPO) Bahawalpur Ghazi Muhammad Salahuddin, the operation is underway in Machka, Kacha Rajwani and Ronti, where law enforcement agencies have cordoned off key locations to restrict the movement of criminal groups. He said contingents from Rajanpur district in Punjab and Ghotki district in Sindh were participating in the coordinated action, while Sindh police and Rangers were conducting parallel operations in adjoining riverine areas.
The RPO said the force included 1,700 police personnel, eight drone teams, six bulletproof vehicles and three armoured personnel carriers. Modern surveillance and operational technology was being used to enhance effectiveness and ensure sustained pressure on criminal networks operating in the difficult terrain.
He said the operation was being carried out under a well-planned and coordinated strategy aimed at restoring law and order in the riverine belt. Emphasising a legal approach, Mr Salahuddin stated that suspects who voluntarily renounced criminal activities and surrendered would not be engaged in encounters and would be produced before courts in accordance with the law. However, armed groups resisting the operation had been warned to lay down their weapons.
The RPO said the operation would continue until the writ of the government was fully established in the katcha areas, which have long been considered safe havens for organised criminal gangs involved in kidnappings, extortion and armed attacks.
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District Police Officer (DPO) Rahim Yar Khan Irfan Ali Samo said action against criminals was ongoing and that protecting the lives and property of citizens remained the police’s top priority. He said a heavy police contingent equipped with full combat gear was taking part in the operation to ensure no escape routes remained open for the bandits.
The current action follows an announcement earlier this month by the Sindh government regarding a “massive” crackdown on dacoits in the katcha areas of the province. Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar, after presiding over a high-level meeting on law and order in the Sukkur and Larkana ranges, had said the state would use all available resources to eliminate criminal groups operating in the riverine belt.
Around 1,700 personnel deployed as Punjab and Sindh police, Rangers pursue riverine bandits. https://t.co/jWISFhwnJ9
— Dawn.com (@dawn_com) January 19, 2026
Mr Lanjar said dacoits would be given an opportunity to surrender and rejoin the national mainstream, but warned that those who continued armed resistance would face strict action. He also acknowledged the support of the Punjab government and security agencies in previous joint operations, which led to the recovery of kidnapped individuals and the clearance of previously inaccessible katcha areas.
Authorities say the ongoing joint operation reflects increased inter-provincial coordination to tackle long-standing security challenges in the riverine regions.
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