Sindh govt approves ‘surrender policy’ for Katcha dacoits
- By Web Desk -
- Oct 21, 2025
KARACHI: The Sindh government has approved a “surrender policy” for dacoits operating in the Katcha (riverine) areas, allowing them to lay down arms under a formal framework, according to a notification issued by the provincial Home Department.
The policy was approved by the Sindh cabinet during its meeting on October 6, the notification said.
Under the new policy, dacoits who surrender will be required to hand over their weapons at designated safe locations and will be dealt with in accordance with the law, the Home Department stated.
The Sindh government has assured that the families of those who surrender will be protected livelihood and property, while biometric verification of all individuals laying down arms has been made mandatory.
For those who do not possess a national identity card, the government has directed that new ID cards will be issued after verification.
The Home Department further announced that closed schools, hospitals, and veterinary centers in the Kacha areas will be reopened and made operational again, as part of efforts to restore normal life in the region.
Additionally, financial assistance will be provided to surrendered individuals and their families through the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) and the Benazir Hari Card.
The notification also confirmed that monitoring and implementation committees have been activated to oversee the execution of the surrender policy and ensure transparency in the process.
Earlier in the day, around 50 bandits of Sindh’s katcha area had consented to lay down arms and become part of the national mainstream.
Sindh’s home department will be organizing a ceremony tomorrow in which the bandits from the Katcha area will surrender before the authorities.
Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar will also attend the ceremony.
Katcha is a unique geophysical area in the plains of Sindh and southern Punjab, sandwiched between the embankments of the Indus from Kot Mithan in south Punjab to the coastal areas in Thatta and Sujawal in Sindh.
The area is known as ‘Kacho’, or the riverine belt. The area owing to its difficult terrain and riverine forests has become a refuge for the outlaws and bandits on the run from the law. It has become a hotbed of criminals, gangs of bandits involved in kidnapping for ransom, killings and other outlawed activities causing lawlessness in the adjacent areas.