Soon Valley gripped by crime

Incidents of theft, robbery and street crime have spread great fear and panic among residents of the Soon Valley, with local police failing to trace the unknown robbers even after many weeks.

Local social activists demanded that IG Punjab take strict notice and it is the responsibility of the police to ensure the safety of people's lives and property.

For the past few weeks, the residents of Soon Valley have been plagued serious incidents of robbery and theft at the hands of unknown suspects.

Earlier this week, robbers broke into the house of blacksmith M Ashraf Lohar, a resident of Mohalla Jarrwal. The suspects tortured family members and shot Ashraf’s two sons when they posed resistance.

Meanwhile, another victim told The Express Tribune that unknown suspects stole Rs700,000 from his house. In spite of calling the police immediately after the incident, the local police did not arrive for an hour, even though Nowshehra police station is only four to five hundred meters away from the crime scene.

The police inspected the crime scene, but were unable to trace the suspects, even after several weeks.

Similarly, M Amjad from Ojhala told The Express Tribune that he went to buy petrol at 3pm when he was intercepted by unknown suspects. They stole Amjad’s mobile phone and Rs12,000 in cash. He filed a complaint at Nowshehra police station about the incident, but after several days, the suspects were still at large. Moreover, local police did not register a case.

Another resident of Ojhala, Sikandar Sultan, said that a several weeks ago, unknown suspects broke into his grocery store and stole items thousands of rupees. He reported the incident to the local police, but the case was not registered and no suspects were traced. This is not the first such incident Sikandar has faced, as he went through a similar situation last year and the suspects were not arrested either.

Another Soon valley resident told The Express Tribune that criminals did not even spare the Mazars and mosques. In Naushehra, thieves broke the donation box installed in the Mazar of Baba Sawi Berri and stole the money. Thieves also stole the steel taps from a newly-constructed mosque in Mohalla Jarrwal.

Over a dozen incidents of theft and robbery were reported in Soon valley and its surrounding villages within several weeks, but the police have failed to take appropriate action.

Due to ineffectual policing, locals are in the firm grip of fear and anxiety.

Public and social circles demanded that the IG Punjab take strict notice of this situation. They stated that the Soon Valley is a peaceful tourist destination but it is becoming a haven for criminals, who perform home intrusions and break-ins and torture family members before snatching their snatched their whole savings.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 13^th, 2023.