Dacoits involved in murder, kidnapping for ransom; Police say the surrender came after anti-criminal operations were intensified
Notorious Katcha dacoit Mera Lathani, carrying a bounty of Rs 10 million, surrendered to the police in Rahim Yar Khan along with accomplices Fida alias Rathor Lathani and Zulfi Lathani.
According to a Punjab police spokesman, the surrender came as police intensified operations against criminals in the Katcha area under the leadership of District Police Officer Irfan Ali Samoon.
The Punjab government had declared Lathani a dangerous convicted felon and his accomplices are also wanted. The dacoits are involved in murder, attack on the police, kidnapping for ransom, among other serious crimes, the police spokesman said.
Read: Sindh launches major operation against katcha bandits, warns of tough action
DPO Samoon stated that the doors are open to those who lay down their arms and move towards a peaceful life. “Those who surrender will be given full opportunity to live a better life,” he said.
He added that the police are fully committed to protect the lives and property of the public and suppress criminals, adding that intelligence-based targeted actions and operations against criminals in the Katcha area are still ongoing.
The development comes amid intensified operations against Katcha dacoits across the country. Earlier on Wednesday, Sindh Interior Minister Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjar announced the launch of a major operation against river bandits and warned that those who refuse to surrender and challenge the state’s orders would be eliminated.
It is not the first time that such high-profile bandits have laid down their weapons. In October last year, at least 72 Katcha dacoits from Sindh’s Shikarpur sought surrender under a voluntary surrender scheme. Many of these outlaws carried bounties on their heads, and officials described the move as a turning point for an area long plagued by crime, fear and lawlessness.
The decision was part of President Asif Ali Zardari’s landmark surrender policy, approved in 2024, as part of a wider initiative aimed at securing sustainable peace and reclaiming the Katcha areas, which fall under Sukkur and Larkana divisions. According to the policy, surrendered bandits must first face pending criminal cases before being included in the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP).
