The Sindh Home Department has formally issued the province’s first-ever structured surrender policy for dacoits operating in the riverine (Katcha) belts of Sukkur and Larkana divisions, aiming to consolidate recent security gains through a combination of law enforcement actions and socio-economic reintegration measures.
According to the notification and the official correspondence, copies of which are available with The News, the policy was approved by the Sindh cabinet earlier this month and seeks to provide a “clear, transparent, and humane mechanism” for the voluntary surrender of wanted criminals and dacoits ,while ensuring that all surrendering individuals would be subjected to due process of law.
The policy has been formulated following sustained law enforcement operations in Katcha areas, which, according to the Home Department, have “significantly reduced” the operational capacity of criminal gangs after years of tribal feuds and weak state presence. The provincial government also credited the directives of President Asif Ali Zardari, who chaired a high-level meeting in Sukkur on May 24, 2024, directing reconciliation of tribal disputes to eliminate the root causes of dacoit networks.
The official document makes it clear that surrender “does not mean pardon or immunity,” and that all individuals will be prosecuted according to the nature and gravity of their crimes. Courts may, however, consider voluntary surrender as a mitigating factor where permissible under the law.
The policy further binds law enforcement agencies to ensure the physical safety of individuals presenting themselves for surrender and mandates complete disarmament as a precondition for reintegration.
A major emphasis of the policy is on preventing harassment of the families of surrendered individuals. It expressly prohibits unlawful detention, eviction, or confiscation of property and allows families to continue cultivation and other livelihood activities without interference.
In addition, families will become entitled to public services such as healthcare, schooling and social protection initiatives, including Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) and ‘Benazir Hari (peasant) Card’, subject to eligibility.
As per official papers, the Sindh government has also committed to a long-term socio-economic rehabilitation program for surrendered individuals and their families. This includes, the technical, social and reintegration commitments.
Besides, the Sindh government also considering for employment in Katcha region development projects for locals, youth and women engagement schemes, revival of closed schools, hospitals and veterinary facilities, communications and infrastructure upgrades in said kacha areas.
As per official announcement, multiple tiers of committees, already been notified, which will supervise implementation, including monitoring committees at divisional and district level. A ‘Redressal Cell’ is also being established in the Home Department to address complaints of harassment, illegal confiscation or violations of the policy.
The Home Department will conduct a monthly performance review of the policy and may introduce amendments as dictated by “ground realities” in the Katcha region, making it a “living document.”
A Home Department official involved in drafting the policy said the aim was “to end the decades-old cycle of organized confrontation in Katcha by combining accountability with reintegration and state presence.”
“The message is very clear: this is not impunity; it is a structured return to lawful life under the writ of the law and state,” the official concluded. The government maintains that the success of the initiative will not only depend on surrender but also on creating conditions where re-entry into criminal networks becomes neither necessary nor attractive.
