THATTA: In broad daylight on Sunday, a Polish cycling pair on a world trip was robbed by robbers near the Sujawal-Badin bypass.
Kowalczyk Three robbers stopped Jakuo Tomasz and his wife, Scantamburlo Mae Elisabeth, as they were paddling through the bypass. After stealing their iPhones, money, and other items, the criminals fled.
The victims claim that the incident happened somewhere between 1 and 2 p.m. According to local media who compiled information from several sources, the couple lost their baggage and approximately Rs72,000.
The victim pair was blamed by Inspector Abdul Haq Baran, the District Intelligence Bureau’s in-charge, who said that they failed to notify the “relevant authorities” of their movements from one location to another.
Before departing Thatta for another location, they were expected to notify the district’s police and other security forces. “We would have guaranteed their security if we had been given such information,” Baran said.
To find the criminals, the police have taken the CCTV footage of the incident from a nearby gas station.
The Archaeology Guest House was where the couple had slept the night before. Sarfaraz Ahmed Jatoi, curator of the Makli Necropolis, said he was deeply troubled by the occurrence.
He emphasized the need of protecting the safety and security of all citizens and foreign visitors, particularly those who are visiting Sindh’s historical, archeological, and cultural monuments. In addition to causing people sadness, suffering, and losses, he claimed that incidents of this nature damage Pakistan’s reputation internationally.
The couple previously told the local media about their positive experiences in Pakistan while they were in Thatta, and they particularly praised the warmth they received from the Sindhi people.
The couple is currently traveling to India after cycling through ten countries, including France, Italy, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Russia, Turkey, Iraq, and Iran.
They expressed their excitement about visiting Sindh’s distinctive cultural and archeological legacy and their admiration for the friendliness of the locals.
Dr. Muhammad Ali Manjhi, the former director general of the department of culture and tourism, voiced his concern over the occurrence and his dismay at the security gaps that have been observed in the districts of Thatta and Sujawal in recent years.
Given that this area was the focus of both domestic and international experts, scholars, and other visitors who frequently visited the historical and archeological sites, he said stringent security measures had to have been implemented.
