Sindh IGP says peace has returned to riverine areas of upper Sindh

Sindh’s Inspector General of Police, Javed Alam Odho, has said peace largely prevails in the riverine areas of upper Sindh after years of anti-dacoit operations by security forces, and that social activities there are now expected to resume, Dawn reported from Larkana.

What the IGP said

Odho was chairing a meeting of senior police officials at the Larkana DIG office on Monday. Social activities, including sports, “play an important role in promoting peace, brotherhood, harmony and a healthy society,” he said. The restoration of law and order in the riverine, or katcha, areas was “the fruit of the continuous hard work, professional capabilities and joint strategy of the Sindh police and other law enforcement agencies”, he said, adding that it had been made possible by the full cooperation of the Sindh government and coordination among agencies.

He paid tribute to police personnel who lost their lives in the line of duty, and to the veterans and others who took part in the operations. “These sacrifices can never be forgotten,” he said. The provincial government and police, he said, had fulfilled their promise to restore law and order in the riverine areas and protect the lives and property of residents. He also said highways in Sindh were now safer and more peaceful than before, as acknowledged by the business community across the country.

“We pledge that the peace established in the katcha areas will be maintained at all costs, and no one will be allowed to disturb the law and order,” he said.

Sports festival

Odho commended the Sindh government, federal civil and intelligence agencies, district administrations, the Sindh police and the Sindh Rangers for the peaceful and well-organised three-day Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Sports Festival, held recently in the Rawanti area of Ghotki district. He singled out the Sukkur DIG, the Ghotki SSP and the whole police team for their work.

The meeting

The meeting reviewed the overall law and order situation in the riverine areas and the steps being taken to maintain peace. The Sukkur DIG, Nasir Aftab Khan, and the Larkana DIG, Sheraz Nazir Abbasi, briefed the IGP on their ranges, particularly the riverine areas, including police operations against criminal elements. The meeting went over the position of police posts, infrastructure, vehicles, manpower and facilities, and discussed the resources needed to improve the police’s operating capacity. The senior superintendents of Ghotki, Khairpur, Qambar-Shahdadkot, Kandhkot-Kashmore, Jacobabad, Sukkur, Larkana and Shikarpur attended in person, along with the superintendent of Larkana’s Special Branch, while the DIGs and AIGs for headquarters, finance and administration joined by video link. On arrival in Larkana, the IGP was given a guard of honour.

Odho said that, to make the peace lasting, police infrastructure must be further strengthened, the necessary resources supplied and coordination among institutions ensured.

What we know and what we don’t

What we know: the IGP’s assessment, the commitments he made and who attended the review.

What we don’t know: the independent evidence for the claim that peace prevails, since the report carries the police chief’s own account. It gives no figures for incidents of kidnapping or highway crime, or how many operations took place and what they achieved. It also does not say what is meant by the resumption of social activities, or when it would begin.

Why it matters

The riverine belt of upper Sindh has been the focus of anti-dacoit operations for years, and residents’ own sense of safety matters more than any official statement. If peace holds, farmers, traders, travellers on the highways and those who hope to see sports and festivals return would benefit most. The IGP’s own list of what is still needed, including better infrastructure, vehicles, resources and coordination, shows that the police see the gains as something that has to be protected. Independent data on kidnapping and highway robbery, and the views of local residents, will show whether the improvement lasts.

This article draws on reporting by Dawn.