Operation Shikarpur (Sindhi: آپریشن شڪارپور) (Urdu: آپریشن شکارپور) is an ongoing law enforcement initiative aimed at tackling local criminals in the Sindh province of Pakistan. Focusing primarily on the Kacha area in Shikarpur District, the operation seeks to apprehend robbers and other lawbreakers, ensuring a safer environment for the local population.

Overview
The police have urged residents to temporarily evacuate mosques in order to facilitate unhindered action against criminals. This precautionary measure aims to prevent any hindrance to the ongoing operation, which is also being carried out in the Sukkur and Kashmore districts of North Sindh. Tragically, during a confrontation with robbers, two policemen and a police assistant lost their lives when their armored vehicle came under heavy weapons fire. 

In a significant development, the police apprehended Tegho Khan Teghani, a prominent figure from the Teghani tribe, in Karachi. Teghani was subsequently remanded into police custody by the court. The Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Shikarpur, Tanveer Tanio, explained that due to the inevitable displacement of residents following floods in the Kacha region, the police sought their cooperation in the operation. Tanio emphasized that individuals found remaining in the area and engaging in hostile acts towards the police would be considered accomplices or partners of the criminals.

The decision to initiate the operation in the Kacha area followed an attack on a police party, resulting in three fatalities, including two policemen. The SSP Shikarpur highlighted that two prevalent types of crimes in the district involve abductions along national highways, with victims being taken to Kacha, as well as cattle theft within the Kacha region. The police have arrested two individuals who were involved in abducting people from the area and are utilizing their assistance to track down the gangs responsible for ransom kidnappings.

To enhance operational effectiveness, police outposts have been established in areas such as Garhi Tegho and Chak, which are prone to incidents. Furthermore, base camps are being set up to provide immediate response capabilities and reduce response time. The police have acquired state-of-the-art armored vehicles that are resistant to anti-aircraft guns and heavy weapons like rockets. Additionally, drone cameras are being deployed to monitor the movements of criminals, and snipers are on standby. The operation will progress further after establishing these base camps and gaining control over the challenging terrain.

According to SSP Sukkur Irfan Sammo that police had set up more than 25 outposts in Kacha and had gained access near the Indus River to prevent the accused from fleeing from Shikarpur. Supply should be stopped. He said that in addition to the locals in the Panu Aqil Kacha, strict measures have been taken to ensure that the supply is suspended and no one else can leave. In addition, white-clad accomplices of the robbers are being monitored in the paved areas.  Kashmore district of Sindh is a border area of Punjab and in the past, dacoits from Punjab have been taking refuge in Punjab by conducting operations in Sindh and Sindh. According to SSP Kashmore Amjad Sheikh the operation was already underway in Kashmore from Shikarpur in which the hideouts of the dacoits were set on fire and the police were advancing on a daily basis. There is also an exchange of fire on the ground. He said that there are obstacles in the way of forests and bushes along the way which are being removed while the Kacha area adjacent to Shikarpur Kacha is also being monitored.

Kacha Region
The Forest Department has millions of acres of land in the Kacha area on both sides of the Indus River, of which a large area is occupied, according to the department. Many large landowners have thousands of acres of raw land called Katie in the local language. Many of these big landowners are also active in politics. The Kacha area remains dry for most of the year but is flooded during the flood season. The land here is considered to be the most fertile due to the presence of river minerals. The Sindh Disaster Management Department estimates that there are more than one million people living here, who are involved in livestock farming and agriculture. On one side of the river is Kashmore district and on the other side is Ghotki district. The Kacha area of the Indus River is also in many districts of central and southern Sindh, but Kashmore, Ghotki, Shikapur and Jacobabad are the districts where dacoits are active and tribal conflicts are also intense in these districts. Forests, bushes and rough terrain make it easier for robbers to carry out their operations in secret and seek refuge here. Sukkur journalist and analyst Jan Mohammad Mehr says that the Sukkur region includes eight districts of northern Sindh and the law and order situation here was very bad and more than 150 people have been abducted in the last one and a half years. ۔ According to Jan Mohammad Mehr, when the dacoits made and shared social media videos, challenged the police and killed policemen in Shikarpur, then there was severe criticism on which the Prime Minister also took notice and Federal Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Karachi. Arrived, where he met with DG Rangers. Besides, Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah came to Shikarpur and thus it was decided to intensify the operation.

South Punjab Operation
A shock video was uploaded by the notorious 'Ladi Gang' of Dera Ghazi Khan, the hometown of Punjab Chief Minister Usman Bazdar.
The shocking video shows the kidnappers, who were later identified as Ramzan, being brutally murdered by their captors because they suspected that The man is a police informant and was providing information about the gang to the police. According to the local police, a clash broke out when the Lady gang members came to arrest three members of the Dohri tribe on suspicion of being informers. The three were Ramzan, Khairo and Khadim. Khairo was killed during the clash, while the other two were abducted and taken to their hideout by gang members, where a video of the brutal killing of Ramzan has now surfaced, with Khadim still missing. According to police, the ladi gang has been involved in serious incidents like murder, robbery, extortion, kidnapping and theft for more than a decade

Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur Tribal Areas and Border Military Police
During the British rule, the Punjab Border Military Police Act 1904 was introduced to monitor law and order in the tribal and mountainous areas of Rajanpur and Dera Ghazi Khan, under which the Border Military Police and the Baloch Levy were introduced. The Baloch levy is almost gone, while more than 100 years later, the Border Military Police is still in place. The same force is operating in these specific hill and tribal areas in Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur, while there is no Punjab police or district police intervention. According to the Punjab Border Military Police Act, 1904, the Deputy Commissioner is the Senior Commandant of the Border Military Police, while the Grade 17 Civil Administration Officer is its Commandant. There are positions such as police inspector rank (equivalent) and cavalry (soldier).

Ladi Gang/Chakrani gang
In a recent statement, Sardar Mohsin Ata Khan Khosa shed light on the current state of criminal gangs in the region. He clarified that the infamous Ladi Gang is most likely extinct, and the present gang operating under that name is actually the Chakrani Gang, led by Musa Chakrani. The police have successfully eliminated a majority of the Ladi Gang members, including their leader Muhammad Bakhsh. The few remaining individuals, including one or two children, have now become part of the Chakrani Gang. However, due to the widespread recognition of the Ladi Gang's name, the Chakrani Gang is mistakenly being referred to as Ladi Gang.

The leadership of the gang now lies in the hands of Musa Chakrani, aged between 30 and 35 years, and Khodi Chakrani, aged 22 to 23 years. The Chakrani Gang belongs to the Khosa tribe, specifically the sub-caste of Khodi. Sardar Mohsin Ata Khan Khosa revealed that Musa Chakrani had committed a murder within his tribe at a young age. As a result, he was sentenced to death, and the Supreme Court upheld the verdict. However, through tribal reconciliation, Musa was eventually released from custody.

Following his release, Musa approached the management of DG Khan Cement Factory, offering protection against the extortionists affiliated with the Ladi Gang. In return, Musa and his associates demanded compensation, but the factory management declined the offer. Consequently, Musa resorted to looting activities in the area. The local police, faced with limited resources, enlisted the help of the Jundani Khosa tribe to combat the gang. Unfortunately, the gang retaliated by killing eight to nine members of the Jundani tribe, prompting their migration from the region..

See also
Kacha Operation

References

Sindh
2021 in Pakistan
Sindh police
Police operations in Pakistan