'Distracted' police unable to crack major cases

Investigators more interested in matters going viral on social media

PESHAWAR:

The probe into key cases in Peshawar have stalled as investigation teams become distracted by high-profile cases going viral on social media.

In August, the brutal murder of a woman and her four children in the Shahpur area of Peshawar, just outside their home, remains unsolved.

The woman, along with her three daughters and son, was murdered over a dispute involving a small piece of land. The attack took place when they were returning to their village from Peshawar city in a rickshaw after shopping.

This tragic incident received heavy criticism on social media.

However, two months have passed, and the main culprits have not yet been arrested. The officer leading the case in Shahpur told Express that two suspects involved in the killing of the five individuals have been granted bail, while the main culprits have fled, abandoning their homes and the area.

The police team is working on the case and expects to make arrests soon.

Similarly, another case in Bilal Town, within the jurisdiction of Hashtnagri Police Station, involving a daytime robbery at a barbershop, has also seen no progress despite two months passing. Two robbers on motorcycles had held up customers and staff at gunpoint, stealing nine mobile phones and Rs25,000 in cash before fleeing.

Despite changing three SHOs in the relevant police station, the case remains pending. According to information received by Express, the former governor took notice of a robbery in Gulbahar involving 35 tolas of gold, but this case also remains unsolved more than five months later.

Sources say that a group from Punjab is involved in this case, according to investigating officials. Additionally, two recent snatchings in Faqirabad, despite CCTV footage being available, have not resulted in any arrests. A gang that robs citizens at gunpoint near the Faqirabad canal, using Kalashnikovs, remains a challenge for the police.