Kacha and the Chief Minister of Punjab's development budget of 23 billion rupees

The Kacha area includes the regions of three districts of Punjab: Rahim Yar Khan, Dera Ghazi Khan, and Rajanpur. This area was a vast hideout for criminals, and these were not minor offenders but high-level dangerous gangs. Their crimes were not small either. Their crimes included kidnapping for ransom, murder, holding multiple people hostage to get their demands met, looting passenger buses, blowing up police vehicles with rocket launchers, and attacking police posts in the area with bombs. When it comes to the weapons they used, they even had anti-aircraft guns. Interestingly, they also used social media (Facebook, TikTok) for their crimes, honey traps, and intimidation.

Below are their incidents which forced the government to conduct a large-scale military operation in this area:

1. In 2024, they martyred 11 police officers.
2. They attacked police vehicles and posts multiple times.
3. They kidnapped several people.
4. In 2025, they stopped a passenger bus and took 19 passengers hostage.
5. In 2016, the Chotu gang took 19 police officers hostage.

Operation

The Pakistan Army Intelligence Section, Rangers, and police jointly launched a crackdown against them in various phases, which continued until February 14, 2026, when the Chief Minister of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, announced that Kacha is now safe and the law of the state is enforced. In this operation, many leaders of the gang were killed or arrested, and approximately 500 surrendered. All of their hideouts were destroyed and the ammunition was seized. Now that crime has been eliminated from this area, to ensure that this change is maintained and to develop this underdeveloped area, the Chief Minister of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, has allocated a budget of 23 billion rupees. This will include the construction of...

1. 16 new schools and 2 girls' colleges, while 65 schools will be constructed, renovated, and upgraded.
2. 300 students will receive Hunhar Scholarships and 300 will be given laptops.
3. Skills projects will also be initiated at a cost of 125 million rupees.
4. A mobile veterinary hospital and lab will be established for livestock.
5. In addition, an ideal village project will also be launched.
6. Twenty-seven schemes of 108 kilometers of earthen roads and 144 kilometers of paved roads will also be initiated.

Both the dacoits surrendering from rural areas and the public have expressed great happiness at the start of this new era of development and prosperity and have thanked Maryam Nawaz Sharif.