LAHORE - Chotu gang freed all the police hostages late on Tuesday night and also agreed to lay down arms, reported TV channels.

Earlier the talks were unsuccessful as Chotu gang was ignoring the mediators involved by the provincial authorities to secure the release of the police hostages.

Police sources yesterday told The Nation that a full-scale military operation remained halted in Rajanpur’s river island where the gang leaders are feeding over two dozen police hostages amid talks.

Some tribal elders have been mediating “indirect talks” between Chotu gang and the provincial authorities for the last couple of days.

An official familiar with the development said the talks were prolonging as Chotu had a big list of demands. “The gang leaders have been asked to surrender first, but they were in no mood to do so,” the provincial government official said.

A police officer yesterday told this reporter that the abducted policemen were safe and sound in the custody of Chotu gang. “Local policemen talked to their abducted colleagues through a wireless set yesterday morning. They are fit and being fed by the gangsters,” the official said, while requesting anonymity.

Reportedly, Pakistan Army helicopters yesterday dropped leaflets in the area under the control of Chotu gang. The gangsters were warned by the army to release the hostages and lay down their weapons.

Some local news channels reported gunship helicopters pounded the hideouts of Chotu gang with exchange of a heavy fire.

More than 1,500 military personnel and over 900 paramilitary troops were deployed in the area before launching a full-scale offensive.

The district administration has already imposed curfew in the river island. According to the Rajanpur district coordination officer, curfew was imposed in the entire Katcha area, including Katcha Shah Wali, Soon Miyani and Katcha Jamal. The relaxation in curfew is given for two hours thrice a day.

An emergency-like situation has been declared in all the public hospitals of the district. The doctors and paramedical staff have been asked to remain ready to cope with any untoward situation.

Earlier, the gang leaders were conveyed through some mediators that they would have to release all the abducted policemen first if they wanted to hold talks.

The safe evacuation of the hostages was the top priority of the provincial government, officials said.

The provincial government had given 48-hour deadline to the gang leader who had asked the police forces to remove pickets from his area or he would kill the hostages. The gang also seized police rifles and wireless sets when the police commandoes launched the first ground assault in the tough terrain.

Chotu gang handed over six dead bodies and seven wounded cops to the local police after some police officers. held a series of negotiations with him through a wireless set.

The initial talks proved successful since the gang leader released the wounded policemen and bodies of the martyred policemen.

The battle had also left seven key members of Chotu gang dead during the ground assault. The young man shot and killed by police commandoes on early Thursday was later identified as a close relative of Chotu.

Pakistan Army troops were called for help by the provincial authorities and gunships were seen flying over the region where the militants were equipped with anti-aircraft guns. Gunships were deployed and SSG commandoes were on their toe to strike with full force.

No casualties have been reported from both the sides since the botched ground assault, involving elite police commandoes.

Punjab Inspector General of Police Mushtaq Ahmed Sukhera had been leading the police forces on the ground close to the river island where a full-fledged military operation was to take place anytime. The police chief said the security operation would be completed soon and the area would be cleared of militants.

The river island located in the far-flung Rojhan tehsil of Rajanpur district is spreading over 50-kilometre area which borders Balochistan and Sindh.
Over 100 facilitators of these criminals were arrested by police before launching the ground assault. They are being interrogated by intelligence operatives and police investigators at unknown places. Many relatives of Chotu are among the arrested facilitators.

The operation Zarb-e-Ahan against the gangsters in Southern Punjab was the fifth attempt by the provincial police to clear the river island of gang leaders in the last 10 years.