Daily Times

On Friday, Punjab Police patted its back for a befitting reply to a heartwrenching onslaught on its authority in the riverine belt between Sindh and Punjab by neutralising the alleged culprits. Although the infamous Katcha area has long been in the limelight as a haven for notorious criminals, whose parallel state continues to twist the writ of the land, this week’s deadly rocket ambush, which resulted in the deaths of 12 policemen, highlighted the failure of past government efforts to address the criminal activities in this region.

For now, the Punjab government has expressed intent to take the bull by its horns as it puts its own house to order and collaborates with Sindh to intensify its crackdown against high-value targets. However, to their misfortune, we have been down the same road at least 20 times in the last three decades and thus, cannot help but doubt the long-term success. Just last year, a similar grand security operation was launched, at a steep price tag of over Rs 1 billion, but four months later, the authorities could show little other than shallow excuses related to geographical terrain. The elusive Katcha dacoits, known for their brazen attacks, have been terrorising local communities with impunity because they easily evade capture whenever the government tries to root them out.

Additionally, the presence of longstanding tribal disputes and mistrust among the local population further exacerbate the situation. Ergo, any serious attempt to cleanse the “no-go land” would require the authorities to go back to the drawing board before wasting more precious resources. Between the procurement of military-grade weapons and the lack of comprehensive information available on the criminals’ hideouts, there’s a lot that needs to be answered before the people can actually trust their efforts to restore peace. Is it because of historical neglect shown by the government after government in Punjab and Sindh towards their backyard: allowing criminal elements to thrive at the expense of vulnerable communities but with a relative relief to the more important urban quarters? The state could have severely weakened the local support system for outlaws by reconsidering its lowest per capita expenditure and providing socioeconomic opportunities to youth living in the Katcha belt. *