A young religious student has become the latest victim of the lawlessness plaguing the riverine areas of Sindh. In a distressing incident reported from Kashmore, a 15-year-old madressah student was allegedly abducted by armed dacoits operating from the notorious Katcha region.
Details of the Abduction
The victim, identified as Muhammad Bakhsh Khoso, son of Allah Bakhsh Khoso, is a resident of Ghouspur town. According to the First Information Report (FIR) lodged with the local police, the young student was forcibly taken by a group of dacoits on Tuesday. The family has pointed fingers at a known criminal, Mithal Khoso, and his accomplices for carrying out this brazen act.
The complaint states that the culprits, armed with sophisticated weapons, intercepted the boy and whisked him away to their hideouts in the inaccessible Katcha belt. The family members, who are ordinary villagers, have expressed their terror and helplessness in the face of this crime. They have made a desperate appeal to the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kashmore and other high-ranking officials to intervene and ensure the safe recovery of their child.
Police Response and Ongoing Challenges
Following the registration of the FIR, police authorities have stated that an investigation is underway. However, such incidents highlight the persistent challenge posed by criminal gangs entrenched in the Katcha areas of Sindh and Punjab. These labyrinthine riverine landscapes have long served as safe havens for kidnappers, armed robbers, and outlaws.
Local communities, particularly in districts like Kashmore, Ghotki, and Shikarpur, live under a constant shadow of fear. Dacoit gangs frequently target residents for ransom, settling personal vendettas, or asserting territorial control. The abduction of a student from a madressah, an institution of religious learning, has added a particularly grave dimension to this case, shocking the local populace.
A Plea for Justice and Security
The family of Muhammad Bakhsh is now awaiting a ransom call, a harrowing ordeal faced by many in the region. They have urged the law enforcement agencies to launch a decisive operation to not only recover the boy but also to dismantle the criminal networks operating with impunity. This incident raises serious questions about the security and protection of citizens in these vulnerable areas.
Public pressure is mounting on the Sindh police and provincial government to take concrete action. There is a growing demand for a sustained and effective crackdown on the Katcha dacoits to restore a sense of safety and rule of law. The safe return of the young madressah student remains the immediate and foremost concern for all involved.
