Ending a nearly three week-long violent stand-off with Pakistani security forces, hardened criminals of the dreaded Chotu gang including its leader have surrendered and released all 24 policemen taken hostage on their island hideout in Punjab province, police said today.
Ghulam Rasool alias Chotu (leader of the notorious gang) surrendered before the Pakistan Army along with his more than 70 gangsters in Rajanpur district, some 400 kms from here, according to senior police officials.
The army had surrounded the criminals and their families in their island hideout in the centre of the Indus River in the southern part of the most populous province and warned them to surrender.
"Yesterday, the army had given a final deadline to the gang members to release the hostages and surrender.
"Chotu agreed that he and his group members were ready to surrender before the army, provided they were not handed over to the police," a senior police official said.
The criminals' surrender bring to an end a violent stand- off during which the authorities also resorted to aerial strikes. The operation involving 1,600 security officials, including police officials and paramilitary Rangers, were engaged in a pitched battle to take control of the island.
Earlier, more than 100 suspects accused of facilitating the Chotu gang were arrested.
The Pakistani army was called in to join the operation against gangsters after Punjab police's failure to flush them out from the southern part of the province.
At least seven policemen, mostly Elite Force commandos, and as many gangsters, were killed in the shootout while 22 others were taken hostage by the gang during a police raid to clear their island hideout as the criminals demanded 'safe passage' in exchange for their release.
The operation called 'Zarb-i-Aahan', which started nearly three weeks ago in Kacha area of Rajanpur district, had miserably failed as the criminals were taking advantage of the thick forest in the island in the area between Rajanpur and Rahim Yar Khan districts of Punjab.
The criminals are said to have the backing of local sardars, parliamentarians and some banned religious outfits.
The security agencies earlier picked up six Baloch sardars in Rajanpur district for allegedly backing the Chotu gang and other criminals.
