What was Operation Lyari? Pakistan’s longest-running covert operation that inspired Dhurandhar
Between 2012 and 2023, a series of long-term security crackdowns were carried out to dismantle powerful criminal gangs and restore peace in the unstable Lyari neighborhood in Karachi, Pakistan. One of the longest-running undercover operations by Pakistani law enforcement and paramilitary forces, primarily the Pakistan Rangers and Sindh Police, dubbed “Operation Lyari”, ultimately neutralized the criminal organisation. The upcoming film Dhurandhar, starring Ranveer Singh, reportedly takes cues from this real-life incident.
Between 2012 and 2023, a series of long-term security crackdowns were carried out to dismantle powerful criminal gangs and restore peace in the unstable Lyari neighborhood in Karachi, Pakistan. One of the longest-running undercover operations by Pakistani law enforcement and paramilitary forces, primarily the Pakistan Rangers and Sindh Police, dubbed “Operation Lyari”, ultimately neutralized the criminal organisation. The upcoming film Dhurandhar, starring Ranveer Singh, reportedly takes cues from this real-life incident.
What was Operation Lyari?
Lyari, one of Karachi’s oldest and most densely populated areas, has long been a center of organized crime, political violence, drug trafficking and gang wars. Rehman Dakait and his successor, Uzair Jan Baloch, were at the helm of organized crime, using fronts such as the People’s Aman Committee (PAC) to wield influence outside traditional law enforcement. The fact that the gangs were heavily armed made police operations extremely dangerous.
The operation was carried out in multiple phases, with the Sindh Police and “encounter specialist” Chaudhry Aslam carrying out the operation in 2012, which failed and faced fierce resistance and high casualties. The federal paramilitary Pakistan Rangers were combating established criminal networks with a more aggressive and sustained campaign between 2013 and 2014. In a decade-long operation, a “covert mission” involving intelligence agencies completely neutralized the syndicate. The operation led to a significant drop in crime rates in the region and across Karachi. It was once among the most dangerous cities in the world. During the operation, Rehman Dakait was killed in a shootout with the police in 2009, while Uzair Jan Baloch was arrested by Interpol in Dubai in late 2014. He is currently incarcerated in Karachi Central Jail. Baba Ladla was killed in a conflict in 2017.
About the movie Dhurandhar
The events of Operation Lyari reportedly inspired the upcoming Hindi film Dhurandhar, directed by Aditya Dhar. The film stars Ranveer Singh, Arjun Rampal, Akshaye Khanna, R Madhavan and Sanjay Dutt in important roles.
