RAHIM YAR KHAN — A notorious bandit, wanted for dozens of cases involving kidnapping, murder, and highway robbery, was killed during a police encounter in the riverine area of Rahim Yar Khan early Tuesday morning.
The suspect, identified by police as Zulfiqar alias ‘Zulphi’ Shar, died after an intense gun battle that lasted nearly two hours. Local police officials said the encounter began when a specialized unit launched a targeted operation near the Kacha area, following a tip about the suspect’s location.
“We had him cornered,” said a senior police official familiar with the operation. “He opened fire as soon as he spotted the team. Our officers returned fire, and he was struck. We recovered an automatic rifle and a significant amount of ammunition from the scene.”
Shar was a long-standing target for law enforcement. His criminal network had operated across the border regions of Sindh and Punjab, frequently using the difficult terrain of the Indus riverine belt to evade capture. Police records indicate he was the primary suspect in at least 30 separate cases, including the high-profile kidnapping of two local traders last year.
The incident marks a rare tactical success in the ongoing, often stalled, security operations within the Kacha belt. For years, criminal gangs have used the dense forests and shifting riverbanks to maintain a stranglehold on local trade routes, often holding victims for ransom in areas where police vehicles struggle to maneuver.
While the death of Shar deals a blow to his specific gang, local residents remain skeptical about the long-term impact on regional security. Past operations against Kacha-based gangs have often resulted in temporary lulls followed by the emergence of new leadership.
The body has been moved to a local hospital for a post-mortem examination. Police confirmed that no officers were injured during the exchange, and patrols in the area have been increased to prevent any retaliatory strikes from the remaining members of the gang.
For now, the Kacha area remains under a heavy security cordon, as investigators search for links to other active criminal networks operating in the vicinity.
