Zubair Qureshi
The Islamabad police have missed its 48-hour target given by its chief, Inspector General of Police Amir Zulfiqar Khan of recovering Rs0.8 million looted from Pakistan Observer’s former reporter, currently employed in Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) Ishtiaq Rao five days ago on Sept 23.
The journalist was deprived of his hard-earned money on gunpoint in Sector I-8/1 of the federal capital. While talking to Pakistan Observer Ishtiaq Ahmed Rao said he was given assurance by no one else by the IG Police that the robbers would be arrested within 48 hours. However, they are still at large keeping the residents of the federal capital, particularly in his sector in perpetual fear.
On September 23, two armed robbers deprived Ishtiaq Rao of Rs 800,000 and pay orders valuing Rs 3 million as he arrived at his residence in sector I-8/1 after withdrawing from Standard Chartered Bank in I-8 Markaz.
As per the footage obtained from Safe City and private cameras, the suspected robbers awaited the victim outside the bank and chased him before entering Rawalpindi through Stadium Road after the crime.
Following the incident, Station House Officer (SHO) of Industrial Area Police Station Mian Khurram was suspended after Advisor to Prime Minister on Interior Shahzad Akbar took notice of his negligence.
Following a meeting with a media delegation, Akbar had also directed the ICT police to trace down the criminals. Inspector General Islamabad Police Amir Zulfiqar had assured the journalist community to arrest the robbers and recover the looted money within 48 hours.
However, despite passage of five days and availability of footages showing their escape route, zero progress has yet been achieved to trace out the criminals.
According to the CCTV footage, apparently the two motorcyclists also robbed Rs 1.1 million from another man named Arshad in Sector G-9/3 on September 9, chasing him from F-10 Markaz branch of the same bank.
The law and order situation in Islamabad has worsened to the extent that the Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Athar Minallah while hearing a case termed it a ‘lawless’ city and observed those responsible for maintaining security and safety of citizens have indulged in real estate business.
Not only IGP, ASP Zohaib Ranjha, had also claimed a 48-hour result and constituted teams to arrest the culprits however, to no effect.
According to SP Industrial Area Zubair Sheikh efforts were underway to arrest the criminals. “We are also working to locate them through multiple footages as well as through other methods,” he boasted.
Geo-fencing of the area has also been ordered to trace the dacoits through detecting their cellular activity, said the SP.
Meanwhile, President National Press Club (NPB) Islamabad Shakeel Anjum, General Secretary Answer Raza and journalists from various media houses have expressed their anger over sluggish policing and demanded Adviser to PM Shehzas Akbar to personally look into the matter.
