Funeral prayers of Machka carnage police martyrs offered at the Sadiq Shaheed Police Lines in Rahim Yar Khan
Mohsin Naqvi announces to award ‘Tamgha-e-Shujaat’ to the martyred police personnel
LAHORE ( WEB NEWS )
The Punjab police said on Friday it had killed the main culprit behind a rocket attack from dacoits in Rahim Yar Khan District’s Machka area that martyred 12 cops.
Organised criminal gangs have been active in the riverine border areas of southern Sindh and central Punjab for decades, often making money through kidnap-for-ransom assaults.
Two police vehicles carrying around 22 policemen were on their way back from a police camp in the Katcha (riverine) area, where recent rains had rendered the road extremely muddy, causing one of the vehicles to break down.
This is when the police party are said to have come under attack from dacoits, who fired rockets at the vehicles and then opened fire, martyring 11 policemen and injuring nine others. The death toll from the incident rose to 12 today.
Punjab Inspector General Dr Usman Anwar told Dawn that both Punjab and Sindh police had launched a historic operation in the riverine area, with 320 police personnel from Punjab on the ground, in addition to the force from Sindh police.
Today, the Punjab police said that in retaliation to yesterday’s attack, the main suspect had been killed while five of his accomplices had been injured.
“Punjab police retaliated in response to the attack by terrorists in the kutcha areas. The main suspect who attacked policemen yesterday, Bashir Shar, has reached his logical end,” the police announced today in a post on X.
“During the Punjab police’s action, five accomplices of dacoit Bashir Shar — dacoits Sanaullah Shar, Gada Ali, Kamlu Shar, Ramzan Shar, and Gadi — were also injured,” the police added.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had directed IG Anwar and other senior officials to head to Rahim Yar Khan to deal with the situation. Her Sindh counterpart Murad Ali Shah has also instructed his provincial police chief to establish contact with the Punjab Police, asking him to extend to them any assistance required.
Funeral prayers of Machka carnage police martyrs offered
The funeral prayers of Machka carnage police martyrs was offered at the Sadiq Shaheed Police Lines in Rahim Yar Khan on Friday. After the funeral prayers the dead bodies of the 12 police martyred personnel were sent to their respective areas for burial.
The funeral prayers were attended by Interior Minister Senator Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi, Punjab Home Secretary Noorul Amin Mengal, DG Rangers Punjab Atif bin Akram, IG Punjab Police Dr. Muhammad Usman Anwar, Additional IG South Punjab Kamran Khan, Additional IG CTD Wasim Ahmed Sial, Additional IG Elite Force Waqar Abbasi, Additional IG Special Branch Zulfiqar Hameed, Advisor to CM Punjab Brigadier (retd) Babar, DIG Sukkur Pir Muhammad Shah, DPO Rahim Yar Khan Imran Ahmed Malik, Deputy Commissioner Rahim Yar Khan Khurram Parvez, DPO Rajan Pur Dost Muhammad Khosa, high police officials and a large number of local people.
Three martyred police personnel belong to minority community. The guard of honor was presented to all the martyrs.
Meanwhile Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has announced to award ‘Tamgha-e-Shujaat’ to the martyred police personnel in Machka incident.
Talking to media at Sheikh Zayed Hospital in Rahim Yar Khan on Friday, he said Federal Government will extend all kind of support to the Punjab Police in fight against gangsters and dacoits. Mohsin Naqvi said all those responsible for this attack will be brought to justice.
Interior Minister also visited Police Lines Rahim Yar Khan to express solidarity with the Punjab Police. He offered funeral prayers of the twelve martyred police personnel and prayed for their high ranks in Jannah.
Meanwhile, Interior Minister presided over a meeting at Lounge of Rahim Yar Khan Airport. Punjab Police, Rangers Punjab and Sindh Police briefed him about the Machka incident.
Mohsin Naqvi stressed to equip police force with latest weapons to deal with miscreants of Katcha with iron hands. Interior Minister directed to launch coordinated operation against the miscreants to eliminate them. He said that operation will be continued will the elimination of the last dacoit.