Criminals running amok in Gujranwala

Police are short-staffed, leaving culprits to run roughshod

GUJRANWALA:

At least 34 people were killed and 4 were injured during robberies and hostile clashes during the last month, while 2,138 incidents of theft were reported, 788 motorcycles were stolen and 54 women and young girls were raped.

The crime rate in Gujranwala is increasing every day. During the month of September, 34 men and women were killed on the basis of enmity and disputes and resisting robbery within the limits of 30 police stations across the district.

Over 100 incidents were reported in the area of Sadar Police Station.

In one incident, a businessman named Waqas encountered robbers while returning home. When he resisted the bid, the suspects shot and killed him. Separately, two friends were going on a motorcycle in Theri Sansi when the suspect allegedly shot them dead. According to the police, the accused were arrested for the double homicide.

Meanwhile, Cantt government SST teacher Imran and his brother were reportedly shot dead 15 minutes apart on the same day. Two other men, Usman and his brother, Sufiyan, were killed in Nowshera Warkan.

Similarly, 580 robberies were reported, with millions of rupees worth of cash, mobile phones, and valuables were looted from citizens. 144 motorcycle snatchings and 444 incidents of highway robberies were reported, while 786 motorcycles were stolen. There were also 621 incidents of other thefts, where goods worth crores of rupees were looted.

On the other hand, 54 women and girls were raped last month. Cases for all the incidents were registered. 120 cases of kidnapping were reported, while 19 cases of kidnapping of children were also registered.

CPO Omar Salamat announced that 16 murder cases were solved, while the rest remain under investigation. They are formulating a plan of action to prevent theft and robbery, but the CPO admitted he is hamstrung by the lack of personnel. We should have 12,000 personnel to police the population, but there are 5,000 officers, he said. He requested aid from the Chief Minister Punjab, IG Punjab and the RPO, which is expected to help the issue of recruitment.

“We are working within our own means, through which we have succeeded to a great extent. Recoveries worth crores have been made from several gangs after arresting them,” he stated, adding that in locations with a high frequency of crime, special security measures are being implemented. Regarding sexual crimes, the CPO stated they the cases were all lodged and the accused were arrested.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 1^st, 2022.