Punjab Police Spokesperson says gang leader Bashir Shar shot dead, several gangsters injured.  Punjab CM announces Rs10 million as head money for most-wanted gangsters.  Blood of martyred policemen will not go in vain: IGP.

ISLAMABAD/LAHORE  -  The funeral prayers for 12 police officials who were martyred by dacoits in the Katcha Machhka area late Thursday were offered at Sadiq Shaheed Police Lines in Punjab’s Sadiqabad on Friday.

A smartly turned-out contingent of police presented a guard of honor to the martyrs’ bodies. The funeral prayers were attended by Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, IG Punjab Dr Usman Anwar, Punjab Home Secretary Noor ul Amin Mengal, Additional IG South Punjab Kamran Khan, and Additional IG CTD Waseem Ahmed Sial, along with DG Rangers Atif bin Akram, Advisor to the CM Punjab Brigadier Babar, Additional IG Elite Force Waqar Abbasi, Additional IG Special Branch Zulfiqar Hameed, DIG Sukkur Pir Muhammad Shah, and Director Safe City Punjab DIG Ahsan Younas.

The funeral prayers were also attended by the martyrs’ families, a large number of police officers and personnel and people from all walks of life. After the prayers, the martyrs’ bodies were sent to their native villages for burial. Among the martyrs, three officers belonged to the minority community, and their bodies were sent to their native villages for last rites after being given a guard of honor. The previous day’s dacoit attack resulted in the martyrdom of 12 police personnel and 8 policemen were injured in the attack.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi om Friday announced to award ‘Tamgha-e-Shujaat’ to the martyred police personnel in Machka incident. While talking to reporters at Sheikh Zayed Hospital in Rahim Yar Khan, the minister said that the federal government would 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.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif Friday commended the police team on consigning the notorious dacoit Bashir Shar to hell a day after the dacoits martyred 12 policemen in the Katcha area of Rahim Yar Khan.

On the direction of the chief minister, the Punjab Police by taking a swift action apprehended a gang involved in a rocket attack in the Katcha area of Rahim Yar Khan. The notorious leader of the gang dacoit Bashir Shar was shot down due to brisk action being taken by the police team. Five accomplices of dacoit Bashir Shar got badly injured. The injured dacoits included Sanaullah, Gada Ali, Kamlo Shar, Ramzan Shar and Gaddi.

There is inside information of more dacoits getting injured in the counter operation being undertaken by the police. The police action is ongoing since last night in the Katcha area of Rahim Yar Khan. The police vows to pursue the dacoits till their complete elimination.

The Chief Minister said, “We will make a firm resolve to purge the Katcha area from the dacoits and the Punjab government cannot forget the precious sacrifices of the police martyrs.”

Also, the Punjab government on Friday fixed Rs 10 million head money as a reward for killing high-value targets on the directions of the chief minister. The head money of dangerous dacoits has been fixed at Rs.5 million. On the direction of CM Punjab, the head money of less dangerous dacoits and terrorists has been fixed at Rs.2.5 million.

The chief minister said that the terrorists involved in the martyrdom of police personnel will be taken to task.

Punjab Police Inspector General Dr Usman Anwar has said that the morale of the police force is high and cowardly attack of the dacoits cannot weaken the determination and courage of the brave officers who sacrifice their lives for the safety of the country and nation. IG Punjab Dr. Usman Anwar asserted that the police operation against the Kacha dacoits will continue with unwavering determination and the blood of the martyred officers will not go in vain. In the Punjab Police’s counter-operation in response to the Kacha Machhka incident, the main perpetrator of the attack on police personnel, Bashir Shar, has been eliminated. Bashir Shar, who was one of the main culprits involved in the attack on police personnel on Thursday night, was killed in the ongoing operation late at night in the Kacha area. In the police action, five of Bashir Shar’s accomplices, including Sana ullah Shar, Gada Ali, Kamloo Shar, Ramzan Shar, and Gadi, were severely injured. There are also reports of more dacoits being injured in the police’s counter-operation. IG Punjab, Dr. Usman Anwar said that the operation to eliminate the dacoits involved in the incident is ongoing, and all culprits involved in the attack on police personnel will be brought to justice.

Earlier, IG Punjab Dr. Usman Anwar, along with senior officers, visited Sheikh Zayed Hospital in Rahim Yar Khan. IG Punjab inquired about the well-being of the police personnel injured in the dacoit attack last night and prayed for their speedy recovery. He directed the provision of the best medical facilities to the injured personnel. IG Punjab remarked that the brave officers of Punjab Police have always made great sacrifices for the nation and have faced challenges such as attacks by terrorists, dacoits, and miscreants in the Kacha area and on border posts. He reiterated that Punjab Police will continue its operations until the Kacha dacoits are completely eradicated, and that the operation to suppress the dacoits involved in the attack will persist. The martyred officers include Muhammad Imran, Muhammad Arshad, Nazar Abbas, Anas Sattar, Ajay Ram, Byram Ram, Abdullah bin Mazhar, Muhammad Sajid, Raja Kanwal, Muhammad Ahmed, Muhammad Zahid, and Muhammad Munir. Of the martyrs, nine belonged to the Rahim Yar Khan District Police, while one officer each from Muzaffargarh, Multan, and Dera Ghazi Khan Police embraced martyrdom.