Police fail to stem violent crimes

71 women among 299 people killed this year

JARANWALA:

Since the year started, 299 men and women were murdered in the jurisdiction of 42 police stations in Faisalabad district.

More than 11 cases of murder were the result of old enmities. Among the 299 people killed 71 were women. Police have named 580 accused in the cases, out of whom 422 have been arrested and sent to jails.

Among the suspects in the cases, 91 were found innocent, while 12 are still wanted by the police. According to police statistics, the people of the district saw more cases of homicide this year than in 2020.

The highest number of cases of killing (89) took place in the rural and urban areas of the Iqbal division. It was followed by the Jaranwala division, where all the police stations are in rural areas. The third town where 65 people were killed is Saddar, which includes Samundri and Tandlianwala police circles. These areas are also entirely rural.

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Madina Town division is located in the city centre, with five police stations in urban and four in rural areas. At least 61 people were killed by their opponents over petty quarrels, land disputes and ‘honour’. Most of the victims came to courts for hearing and fell victim to enmity.

Lyallpur Town is located in the heart of the city with seven police stations. At least 23 people were killed within the jurisdiction of the seven police stations.

In the murder of 299 people across the district, police registered cases against 580 accused under various legal provisions, including murder and double murder, and arrested 422 of them. In all, 91 people were acquitted in the murder cases. Meanwhile, 12 people have been declared absconders in the murder cases.

In the series of murders, 71 women were also killed, mostly on the pretext ‘honour’.

In this regard, police officers say that some plaintiffs have registered five or six murder cases instead of one to trap their opponents.

Rao Zafar Iqbal, a senior advocate, said on the murder incidents in Faisalabad that such incidents were increasing due to increasing intolerance in society.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 7^th, 2021.