Cop killer at large: Police make little progress in tracing suspects

Another policeman also injured during robbery bid in Sector I-8/3

ISLAMABAD: Police in the federal capital has been unable to trace a group of armed robbers who had killed a police constable and injured another the other day and fled despite the presence of cameras of the Safe City and police check posts.

On Monday, two police officers of the Falcon force, Constable Muhammad Waseem and Constable Muhammad Arif, were out on patrol. During this time, a citizen called the police helpline, Rescue 15, and told them about an armed robbery in progress in a house in Sector I-8/3. In response to the call, the two constables — who were closest to the crime scene — were dispatched.

When the two reached the house which was being robbed, they came under attack from around four armed robbers. Waseem was shot in the head and died on the spot while Ayaz was also injured.

Ayaz is receiving treatment at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) while Waseem was buried late on Monday.

The robbers managed to escape. As they did so, they snatched a motorbike from a passerby and fled.

An officer of the Islamabad Police, who requested not to be named since he was not authorised to speak to the media, said that apart from the Falcon force, officials from the relevant police station, Rangers and the counter-terrorism force (CTF) keep patrolling different parts of the city. However, he said that per established procedure, Rescue15 first directs members of its Falcon force to respond to emergencies before informing the relevant police station.

The officer added that this is what happened in this case as well with officials of the quick response force (QRF) and the CTF dispatched with a delay. As a result, he said that the Falcon force officials arrived on the scene without any backup and were left outnumbered and outgunned.

A police spokesperson, when asked about the matter, explained that squads of both QRF and CTF were dispatched. However, he said that when the call came through, Constable Waseem and Constable Ayaz were close to Sangam Market and thus reached the spot almost immediately.

He added that the entire encounter, from engaging the two police officers and the assailants fleeing, was over within two to three minutes, before the QRF and CTF squads could reach the spot.

When asked whether it took too long for the two squads to reach the spot, the official explained that it takes them around eight to 10 minutes to respond to an incident.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 2^nd, 2019.