The Plight of Police

Sindh Police’s ability to combat criminals has been called into question once again in the aftermath of the Ghotki bandit attack

SUKKUR: On November 6, 2022, more than a hundred bandits attacked and killed five police officers in Ronti, district Ghotki, including one DSP and two police inspectors. The bandits used rocket launchers and modern automatic weapons to attack the police party. Not only were dacoits from Sindh’s Ghotki district involved in this attack, but so were dacoits from Punjab’s Sadiq Abad district, who used modern weapons.

The Sindh Police’s ability to combat criminals has been called into question once again, as has whether they have modern and automatic weapons, efficient armoured vehicles, and police mobiles that run smoothly in difficult areas to combat robbers. Unfortunately, police officers stationed in slum areas lack such resources to deal with hundreds of dacoits and criminals.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and Sindh IG Police Ghulam Nabi Memon visited Sukkur, Ghotki, and Larkana following the attack on the police party and the martyrdom of police officers in Ghotki district. The Sindh Police appeared unable to respond to the journalists’ questions. The journalists questioned why the robbers had such modern weapons and fast vehicles while the police had neither.

When asked why there were no such effective armoured vehicles available for the police to use in taking full action against the robbers, CM Murad and IG Sindh Police had no clear answer. The pair was also asked why police operations against dacoits are not being conducted in Shikarpur, Kashmore, and Ghotki, where police officers are constantly martyred due to a lack of an advanced scanning system.

Bandits from the slums regularly share threats to the police using modern weapons on social media because these bandits cannot be apprehended using modern telecommunication systems. These criminals have rocket launchers and anti-aircraft weapons, whereas the cops only have submachine guns and G3 rifles.

In response to the issue, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah made the traditional statement that the police department is being developed along modern lines and that the police will soon be equipped with modern weapons, adding that the morale of the Sindh police is high and that they are not afraid of testimonies, and so on.

He was also asked if, despite the high morale of the Sindh police, the government’s responsibility had been met, to which he replied that the officers stationed in the police stations established in the Kacha area have the necessary facilities.

To investigate, the Bol News team travelled to Sukkur, Sindh’s third-largest city, as well as Khairpur, Kashmore, Shikarpur, and district Ghotki’s Kacha area. When the Bol News team arrived at the police stations set up in the areas, an unexpected situation was revealed.

Before going into detail about the team’s visit, it’s important to define a “Kacha area.” Kacha areas in Sindh, also known as rural or rough areas, are those located within the Indus River’s belt, i.e., the river itself. When there is a flood, the flood water accumulates in these areas, clogging the roads. In these areas, there are no paved roads. The roads are difficult, and the Kacha area contains hundreds of small and large villages whose lands are very fertile due to their location in the river belt, so the people who live there do not leave.

Sindh’s Khairpur district has 45 police stations, seven of which are located in rural areas; the Shikarpur district has 37 police stations; here also, about seven are located in rural areas.

Furthermore, Jacobabad has 22 police stations, but none are in the Kacha area. Because some of the police stations here are on the border of Balochistan Province, robbers frequently flee to Balochistan after an incident.

Sadhuja, Raza Goth police station, Gudpur police station, Bagarji police station, Qadirapur police station, Khadiri police station, and Jhangro police station are among the 27 police stations in Sukkur district, all of which are located in rough areas.

There are cracks in some of these stations, and the plaster has fallen in other rooms, including the DSP and SHO rooms, so the police officers have stopped sitting inside the building; the Jhangro police station is practically a tent. Meanwhile, there is a large area in front of this police station from which gangs of dacoits move throughout the day, and the dacoits continue to fire in the vicinity of the police station.

Dacoit gangs commit crimes not only in Sukkur but also in Shikarpur and Khairpur districts. Every day, there is an exchange of fire between police and robbers in this area. This police station’s situation is also dire.

Similarly, the Mubarakpur police station’s entire structure has collapsed. This police station is not in the Kacha area, but it is still in a rural area, and the officers are currently working out of a tent.

Qadirpur is another police station in the Kacha area of Sukkur district. During the recent floods, the entire structure of this police station was washed away. Because the entire police station building has been destroyed, the relevant police station personnel sit at the checkpoint on Begari Band and carry out their duties. Robbers are constantly moving around the area. This is also the case at police stations in the districts of Khairpur, Shikarpur, Kashmore, and Ghotki, in addition to Sukkur.

Let’s discuss the weapons given to the police officers stationed in these police stations to deal with robbers. In these areas, police officers have been issued G3 rifles and submachine guns, and there are no such large weapons. The police mobile vehicles in these police stations are old and have been repeatedly repaired, as the police mobile in the Jhangro police station starts with a push. This mobile vehicle was manufactured in 2005.

Police mobiles in Raza Goth and other Kacha police stations are nearly useless. These police mobile vehicles are not equipped to chase robbers and criminals, making their pursuit a challenging task. Aside from inefficient police mobile vehicles and conventional weapons, there is also the issue of police manning in the rough police stations. The weather is cold, but the police officers stationed in the police stations lack the necessary equipment to cope with it.

Police officers do not have mosquito nets to protect themselves from mosquito bites, and because there are no alternatives, these Kacha police stations are located in areas where floodwaters can reach them; there is no road to reach them, and police movement is halted. Today, the government remains determined to reach the police stations.

Roads cannot be built due to difficult circumstances, and this is why the police face significant difficulties in their operation against dacoits. Other districts, including Sukkur, where bandit activity is high, have a very small police force that is regularly used for VIP movement, security of ministers and advisors, security of courts and judges, security of national installations, market patrolling, and security outside bank branches.

The Bol News team spoke with SSP Sukkur Sanghaar Malik about the plight of the police stations in Sukkur Kacha. During the exchange, Sanghaar Malik said that the police force is nothing more than a display.

“We are a force; we take an oath to protect people’s lives and property, and we must eradicate crime from society and restore law and order in every case. True, there are unfavourable conditions, particularly in slum police stations where officers do not have adequate facilities,” he stated.

“On the other hand, there are daily clashes with robbers and criminals; there are also testimonies of policemen and officers, but if you think about it, you will see that the police force is not discouraged; there is a police force in all of the Kacha police stations. Despite the fact that many police station buildings have collapsed and despite the extreme cold or heat, our officers have not abandoned their duties,” Malik continued.

“Our police officers are a significant impediment to criminals and robbers. There have been 141 police encounters within the limits of the police station. We killed eight bandits in these encounters, including two prize-winning dacoits. During the encounters, 37 dacoits and criminals were apprehended in injured condition. Furthermore, 415 robbers and criminals were arrested, and six Kalashnikovs, four rifles, 19 shotguns, 115 pistols, and two revolvers were also recovered from their possession. This is the result of hard work and collaboration,” he maintained.

SSP Sukkur further stated, “Our police are patrolling areas where people do not go during the day due to the fear of criminals, and police teams are patrolling and performing their duties throughout the night to eliminate social evils. Police patrols are being conducted in cities, and we are working to combat social evils such as foreign gutka, pan parag, gambling, the spread of alcohol, and drugs.”

He added that the provincial government is trying to equip the Sindh police with modern weapons as soon as possible and to provide high-speed vehicles and other equipment.

“Inshallah, we will not allow bandits and criminals to succeed, even if it means sacrificing ourselves. The Sindh Police Force soldiers and officers are not afraid to make sacrifices; it is part of our duty,” SSP Sukkur concluded his remarks.