Thieves involved in murders, kidnappings for ransom; Police say the surrender came after anti-crime operations intensified.
Notorious Katcha bandit Mera Lathani, carrying a reward of Rs 10 million, surrendered to police in Rahim Yar Khan along with accomplices Fida alias Rathor Lathani and Zulfi Lathani.
According to a Punjab Police spokesperson, the surrender came as the police stepped up 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 criminal and his accomplices were also wanted. The robbers are involved in murders, attacks on police, kidnappings for ransom, among other serious crimes, the police spokesman said.
Read: Sindh launches major operation against katcha bandits, warns of tough measures
DPO Samoon stated that the doors are open for those who lay down their arms and move towards a peaceful life. “Those who surrender will have a full opportunity to live a better life,” he said.
He added that the police are fully committed to protecting the life and property of the public and suppressing criminals, adding that specific intelligence-based actions and operations against criminals in the Katcha area are still ongoing.
The development comes amid intensified operations against Katcha thieves across the country. Earlier on Wednesday, Sindh Home Minister Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjar announced the launch of a major operation against riverine bandits, warning that those who refuse to surrender and defy state orders would be eliminated.
This is not the first time such high-profile bandits have laid down their arms. In October last year, at least 72 wanted Katcha thieves from Shikarpur in Sindh surrendered under a voluntary surrender scheme. Many of those 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 historic surrender policy, approved in 2024, as part of a broader initiative aimed at ensuring 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).
