Over 18,000 criminal cases pending in Gujranwala

Investigators directed to meet weekly targets

GUJRANWALA:

The crime rate in Gujranwala has witnessed a significant upswing compared to the previous year, with a staggering 18,000 cases pending due to prolonged investigations and subsequent delays in submitting challans to the court.

The Chief Police Officer (CPO) has taken cognizance of this concerning trend, issuing directives to each police station to expedite investigations and submit challans for 11 cases weekly to the prosecution's front desk.

As the year 2023 draws to a close, the city has experienced a noticeable spike in crime rates, surpassing 35,000 cases compared to the previous year's figure of over 30,000.

Read MQM-P condemns soaring crime

In addition to the ongoing cases, a backlog of hundreds of cases from preceding years remains unresolved, totalling over 18,000.

The progression is evident, with 13 cases pending in 2021, 1541 in 2022, and a substantial 16,905 in 2023. A cumulative total of 17,839 cases have reached the court during the current year, leaving 20,582 cases pending. However, diligent prosecution scrutiny has resulted in a reduction of 3677 cases from this pending figure.

SSP Investigation Rizwan Tariq has issued stern directives to investigators handling pending cases, emphasising the importance of timely challan submissions to avert departmental actions. Simultaneously, CPO Rana Ayaz Saleem has instructed police officers to ensure the completion and submission of 11 cases weekly to the front desk, warning of potential departmental consequences for non-compliance.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 19^th, 2023.