Crime rising at alarming rate in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: The federal capital, as per the admission of senior police officers, has seen a spike in the crime rate even though there have been large-scale transfers and postings of around 500 officers in the past quarter, including the Islamabad Police inspector general, superintendents of police, DSPs, SHOs and Head Moharrars of different police stations.

The incumbent government, during its first five months, has seen an astounding increase of 98 per cent in crimes including murders and attempt to murders, kidnapping, robberies and thefts.

A total of 2,200 incidents of car and motorbike theft, home burglaries and snatching at gunpoint took place in the current year, up from 1,100 in 2017.

The 22 police stations of the federal capital registered some 9,200 cases, up from 6,739 cases registered in 2017.

According to the police record book, more than 300 vehicles worth Rs3 billion and 450 motorbikes were stolen from the city during the year. Of these, the police could only recover 163 cars and 64 motorbikes.

After the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government took over, the police launched a massive campaign against bootleggers and drug dealers in the city.

Except for Kohisar police station, whose officers had apprehended a foreigner who was storing and allegedly selling alcohol in the city, the police limited their crackdown to slums of the city where substandard alcohol is sold.

However, not a single person involved in sales of imported alcohol was apprehended during the year, as it registered some 1,320 cases involving sellers of locally produced moonshine, up from 814 cases last year.

Further, there were 115 murder cases in the federal capital, while the police also registered 160 cases of attempt to murder.

A further 160 people died in traffic accidents in the federal capital which left over 300 injured. Over 275 women, children and young girls also complained of being harassed in the city.

The current year also saw 50 armed robberies while 450 incidents of street crime involving snatching at gunpoint and 500 thefts and burglaries at homes were reported.

The police in 2018 also arrested 17 illegal residents, mostly Afghans. This was down from the 50 illegal aliens arrested from the federal capital.

According to a senior officer in Islamabad police, who spoke to Daily Express on condition of anonymity, the rate of serious offences and crimes in the federal capital during the past year, specifically during the past four and a half months, has seen a record increase.

As per an estimate, property and valuables including cash, prize bonds, jewellery, cars and motorbikes worth Rs10 billion was robbed from the citizens.

According to the officer, the comparative analysis given in the report not only shows the poor performance of the police department but also points towards a weakening check and balance system and lacking in professionals competencies of the police.

Recovering valuables stolen in only 156 robbery incidents of the 2,200 incidents reflects the dismal performance of the police in the federal capital.