In order to tackle lawlessness and gangs of dacoits who utilize the riverine areas as a haven for criminal activity, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi made the decision on Friday to begin a combined operation in such areas.
The decision was made at the National Counter-Terrorism Authority (NACTA) headquarters at a meeting of the National Action Plan Implementation Review Committee.
The federal interior secretary, the director-general (DG) of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the head of NACTA, the inspectors general (IG) of Sindh, Punjab, Balochistan, and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) all attended the meeting, which was chaired by Naqvi.
At the high-level meeting were representatives from many intelligence agencies as well as the national coordinator of NACTA.
The panelists discussed security measures for Chinese people and the topic of giving police forces new technologies to improve their efficiency.
In addition, a thorough briefing on the security measures put in place to ensure the protection of Chinese nationals was given by the IG of each province.
Underscoring the critical need to protect Chinese nationals, the interior minister instructed all security services, including the police, to “ensure 100% adherence to standard operating procedure (SOPs).”
The minister issued a warning, saying that disregard for this would not be allowed.
“Strict disciplinary action will be taken for negligence in implementation,” Naqvi stated.
The panel also discussed the need for absolute security measures in Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore for the Iranian president’s visit.
“With the joint operation, the evil elements will be permanently eradicated [from the Kacha areas],” he stated in reference to the next joint operation in the riverine districts.
Drones and other contemporary technology would be used in the operation, the minister indicated.
Regarding the matter of human trafficking, Naqvi expressed gratitude for the recent advancements achieved, pointing out a noteworthy decrease. He called on all authorities to work together to enact and execute severe legal penalties against human trafficking.
On April 16, the Punjab police decided to reinforce security measures by erecting twenty more checkpoints in the riverine areas of Rahim Yar Khan and Rajanpur in reaction to the reappearance of Kacha dacoits.
A retired schoolteacher’s son was abducted from the Dhanola region earlier this month on April 7. It is now thought that the boy is in the hands of a gang in the “Kacha” area.
Although Punjab and Sindh Police worked together to crack down on Kacha regions last year, a spike in crimes and kidnapping instances in recent weeks has forced both provincial forces to step up their efforts.
Critics, however, point out that police actions during wheat crop harvesting season are problematic since they frequently serve special interests instead of maintaining peace and order.
Chacha’s hundreds of acres of lush land offer potential targets for exploitation by powerful people.
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