A total of 420 criminal cases were reported in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), comprising the city and its outskirts, between February and April.
The number of crimes saw an increase across the rest of the country as well, primarily due to inflation, rise in unemployment, poverty, and illiteracy, according to a report released by the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN).
The report said that 148 criminal cases were reported in March, while 210 cases were reported in April this year, which is a 41% increase.
The most number of cases reported were related to property disputes — the police registered 82 FIRs in such cases. This was followed by 39 cases of physical harm, 29 cases of injury, 28 cases for criminal trespass, 25 for car lifting and 21 for thefts, according to the report.
The police also registered four murder cases and six cases of attempted murder, said the report. Another six cases were registered for forced marriages, six for crimes against women.
However, threat and fraud, illegal confinement, terrorism related incidents, criminal misappropriation of property, extortion, criminal intimidation, counterfeit currency, cheating, criminal breach of trust, offences relating to marriage and honour killing, which were included by FAFEN in a list of 27 offences, were not reported in the capital city, stated the report.
The report was compiled by FAFEN employees visiting offices of district police officers in 81 districts, including Islamabad, in April to gather data on FIRs registered for 27 offences falling under the Pakistan Penal Code.
The report includes in its analysis only those crimes for which an FIR was lodged. Since many criminal acts go unreported, the actual figure might be much higher, the report said.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 11th, 2012.
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