Police yet to devise strategy to round up culprits or curb the increasing trend
Zubair Qureshi
Islamabad’s urban as well as rural areas are not safe from criminals, as the city has recently witnessed an increase in number of street crimes and roadside robberies.
The police on the other hand seems helpless and is far from devising a plan to counter the incidents of street crime.
Monday for instance was a field day for the criminals as three citizens were deprived of their cars, six persons of their motorbikes and a number of others of their mobile phones jewellery and other valuables.
The residents have also questioned the wisdom of removing police checkposts from various parts of the city that has given rise to increasing number of street crimes.
According to details, Taimoor Shehzad in his complaint to I-9 police said two armed persons took away from him his Honda-125 motorbike.
Another resident Ziaul Haq unfirmed Aabpara police his mobile phone was snatched by unidentified policemen who were carrying weapons.
Another resident Rashid Minhas told Shamas Abad Police that his friend and he were robbed by two armed unidentified motorcyclists.
They took away our motor cycle, cell phones and cash, complained he in his FIR lodged with police.
A man Yasir Hayat in his FIR lodged with Sabzi Mandi police told unidentified thieves took away his Toyota Altis no. LEB 2717 parked outside his house.
Similarly, Khurram Pervez and Muhammad Tariq were also deprived of their cars from the parking lots of Shifa Hospital and District Courts respectively.
These are the incidents which are reported while there are many which have nit been reported, said police sources.
This is very serious situation and if corrective measures are not taken Islamabad could face ‘Karachu-like’ situation, they further said.
According to data collected from the police department, a total number of 3,343 crimes were registered with the capital police in the first quarter of last year.
This year, the number of cases reported in different police stations of Islamabad in the same period was 3,999.
During the first quarter of 2021, crimes in the federal capital, especially in its rural areas, have increased as compared to the corresponding period of last year, the data reveals.
In the Rural Zone of the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) police, 1,301 cases have been reported in Shahzad Town, Khanna, Nilore, Sihala and Lohi Bher police stations during the first quarter whereas the number of cases during this period in this zone last year was 943, showing an increase of 358 cases.
This included 21 murders, 59 rape cases, 309 cases of robbery, day burglaries and theft.
Besides, 40 cases for the theft of vehicles and 149 for the theft of motorcycle have been reported in the Rural Zone, the data further reveals.
