Mubarak Ali Baloch
About thirty eight years old Ghulam Rasool is born in Bakrani sub-clan of Mazari caste in rural area of Rojan, district Rajjanpur. Being youngest in the siblings he is known with his infamous alias Chotoo. Initially tended cattle and reportedly later did a guard of Atif Mazari, currently member provincial assembly Punjab. He also did as local informer of Punjab police. Socially small deviant he came in touch with criminals but alleged police excesses and registration of criminal cases which he claims never committed pushed him in the vortex of crime. Chotoo gradually metamorphosed and grew bigger in criminal stature. Unschooled and jobless soul he got badly entangled in the criminal mesh from which he could not extricate himself. Rather a number of deviant and adventure loving youngsters also joined him and thereby a gang developed. Chotoo, the ring leader of his gang; traverses from one place to an other in riverine Kacha area from Rajanpur, Rojan (Punjab), Guddu, Ubauro, Khambrra and Raunit (district Ghotki, Sindh). The islands inside Indus River and unjeepable riverine forest are his habitat and natural shelter to avoid law enforcement agencies’ hunt.
In May last year his gang stormed a police check post of Mochko police station (Tehsil Sadiqabad District Rahimyar Khan) and took seven policemen including one Assistant Sub Inspector as captive and held them hostage somewhere in Khambbrra riverine forest. Captives he set free after his demands to release few of his accomplices including one close relations were released by Punjab government. This criminal deed emboldened him and audacity took birth within his gang members pushing them to go more criminal in their activities. To avoid police reprisal he temporarily started putting up in Raunti riverine forest of Ubauro district Ghotki where Sultu Shar, another gangster active in Gholki, did as his host for about a year. He did not indulge in any major criminal activity in deference he shown to Sultu being his host. Chotoo grew in criminal strength and reportedly came in criminal contact with Baloch militants thereby inviting the ire of State.
By now Chotoo embarked upon kidnapping for ransom spree and other criminal activities. He directed his anguish mainly against local police in Punjab. His growing criminal deviance warranted fixing head money on his arrest. After his criminal sojourn with Sultu Shar several months back he repatriated to Jamal Kacha and Moro Kacha area in Rojan and took to different offences in area. Local police decided grand operation against him and his gang. Operation Zarb-e-Ahan started on 28 March 2016 turned into a fiasco as over half a dozen policemen including one SHO have been martyred and about two dozen police personnel have been taken as captive by this gang. Reportedly, outlaws under a certain strategy withdrew from some positions in island allowing police platoon to enter and trapped them.
Grim situation compelled Punjab government to subsequently overcome its dithering and indecisiveness by requisitioning Pak Army to take lead role in operation. Currently, as per media reports 1500 soldiers of Pak army duly supported with required logistics and essential wherewithal are engaged in operation. Area has been sealed to stop outlaws possible escape from island. Police and paramilitary force have also established check-posts encircling the entire area where the gang is holed up. Chotoo and his gang members would sing the idiomatic ‘swan song’ as this time operation is being carried out with an aim to finish with this menacing problem for good. There is need to plug escape routes and move the innocent population to safer places so that collateral damage is avoided. Though there is possibility that gangsters may disallow innocent population to move out of island and they may use it as human shield. Operation must continue with priority to secure the release of police personnel held captive inside the island. Whether Choto himself is still in the island and did not escape out of island while operation was with police is question in everyone’s mind.
However, Punjab police’s failure and being taken as hostage reflects their inefficiency and poor command spirit. Hostage taking episode in fact dampened the professional spirit and demoralized the police force badly. Some police constables, as seen from visuals on local television channels, have complained of shortage of weapons, logistics and other wherewithal to continue with the operation. Apparently, police encountered several problems. First, poor forehand knowledge about terrain of island and information about weaponry available with gang. Second, exact locations in island where gang members dug up were not known. Third, no correct knowledge about the local circles sympathetic for gangsters in the riverine area. Fourth, logistics routes normally used by the criminals were not perfectly identified. Fifth, poor planning by senior police officers and absence of morale boosting mechanism for police personnel gave upper hand to the gang. Sixth, absence of civil administration’s liaison with relevant Pak-army formation for required timely succor as a part of internal security duty. Seventh, shortage of wherewithal essential to keep eye on the nocturnal movement of the criminals in order to disallow their escape from encirclement. Eighth, lack of training and will (motivation) in police personnel to effectively engage the criminals. These are said to be the major reasons contributed to the failure of police operation.
Criminal activity is never justifiable under any logic or reason and the accused must be brought to book irrespective of social standing whatsoever. Reasons pushing an individual to go criminally deviant are numerous and are best left with the social scientists to determine. However general consensus of the researchers is that most of the time individual in society is hostage of the circumstances not created by him and he is then left with no option but to go criminal in behaviour. This is more true when governance is weak and the institutional response to the victims (would-be criminals) of circumstances is missing. In developed societies social science researchers make endeavours to understand the causes of crime and remedial measures suggested to governments are implemented but in our case researchers’ analyses and findings unfortunately don’t find governmental heed. In such societies Chotoos take birth and swell in size.
