Robbers roam free despite ban on pillion riding in Rawalpindi

Woman killed resisting two muggers

RAWALPINDI: The initiative of the provincial government to control crime by slapping a night-time ban on pillion riding seems to have failed to achieve desired results as robbers on motorbikes continue to loot, kill and injure people in Rawalpindi.

A woman was killed and another was injured resisting a pair of robbers on a motorbike, a robber was killed as a milkman tried to overpower him, while many other citizens were deprived of cash and valuables at the hands of bike-riding robbers.

Motorcycles have become the choice ride of criminals owing to maneuverability and cheap availability. One drives the other completes the job. Therefore, law enforcers ban pillion riding whenever there is security risk.



Presently, Punjab Home Department has banned pillion riding from May 21 to June 5 during 7pm and 7am. The step, according to government, has been taken to discourage street crime. However, women, children, elderly, public servants, media workers and students showing their identity cards are absolved from the ban. Rawalpindi police have so far impounded 188 motorcycles on violation of pillion riding ban. The ban will stay in force till chand raat.

A woman was shot dead in a robbery attempt in the precincts of Ganj Mandi Police station on Saturday. According to police Nusrat Sultan and her daughter-in-law were returning to their home from hospital when they were intercepted by two robbers on a motorcycle.

The robbers attempted to snatch their purse which they resisted on which the suspects open fire at them, Nusrat Sultan collapsed while her bahu tried to overpower the robbers, they shot her too. Neighbourhood people rushed for their help and called an ambulance to shift them to hospital.

However, Sultan succumbed to her wounds, while her daughter-in-law was in critical condition.

Police arrived at the incident site and started investigation from the neighbours. Police have also acquired the CCTV footage of the incident, however no arrest has been made so far.

Later, Regional Police officer (RPO) Muhammad Ahsan Tufail visited the site and ordered a quick arrest of the suspects.

The RPO said that the protection of citizens was their utmost priority

Botched heist

A robber was killed in Rawalpindi in an attempt to loot a dairy shop during active hours of pillion riding ban in Rawalpindi.



Two robbers on Saturday broke into a dairy shop, owned by Muhammad Safdar, in Ratta Amral area exactly after half hour of Sehri. The robbers broke the shop’s glass with their pistols butts and entered inside from where they looted Rs9000, wallet and mobile phone from Safdar on gunpoint.

As the robbers were leaving, the victim started screaming to seek help on which the suspects started aerial firing in response. Meanwhile, one of the bullets stuck in pistol’s barrel and the robbers rushed towards their motorbikes to flee. Making use of the opportunity, the victim got control of one of the suspects who, in response, open fire while they had a tussle between them but one of the bullets killed his own accomplice on the spot however he managed to flee on foot.

The deceased was identified as Izzatullah while the other remained unidentified.

The police registered a case and started investigation.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 26^th, 2019.