Cops in Punjab refuse to join operation in Kacha area, exit midway

Punjab police officers have refused to participate in an operation against dacoits in the Kacha area of Rajanpur, disembarking from their transport en route, according to Express News.

25 officers from the Farooqabad Constabulary, dispatched for the operation, declined to enter the Kacha area and disembarked near the Zahir Pir Interchange four days ago.

The officers reportedly told their superiors, “We are responsible for our own safety, but under no circumstances will we participate in the operation in the Kacha area.”

In response to the officers’ refusal, a report was prepared by their in-charge, recommending disciplinary action against the 25 officers.

Inspector General of Punjab Police Usman Anwar has since sent replacement personnel, and the new contingent has arrived in Rahim Yar Khan. Anwar stated, “We now have full deployment in the Kacha area, and no officers will be absent.”

The operation in the Kacha region follows a severe attack by dacoits four days ago, which resulted in the deaths of 12 police officers.

In response, the Punjab government, in collaboration with Sindh, decided to launch a joint operation in the area. IG Punjab Usman Anwar visited the Kacha region four days ago to boost the morale of the officers.

The region, notorious for its organised criminal gangs, has long been a hotspot for kidnap-for-ransom operations, with such gangs operating in the riverine border areas of southern Sindh and central Punjab for decades.