KARACHI, Oct 30: Police had launched a crackdown on the robbers of the cellphones in June this year, but, no significant improvement has been witnessed so far.
According to official statistics, almost 70 people are deprived of their mobile phones daily and the recovery of stolen cellphones is negligible. The Citizen-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) joined hands with police in curbing the menace of the mobile phone snatching and theft incidents but they too are helpless in putting an effective check on the frequent robberies.
The data compiled jointly by the police and the CPLC shows that more than 23,000 cellular phones have either been snatched or stolen from December 2004 to date. On an average, three persons are deprived of their cellular phones every hour in Karachi.
In the light of reported incidents, the police and the CPLC came to know about some specific spots where incidents of snatching of cellphones are noticed frequently. These identified spots are Allahwala Chowrangi on Tariq Road; Bahadurabad roundabout; airport; Awami Markaz; Baloch Colony Bridge; Banaras Chowk; Gulshan-i-Iqbal Block 13-D; Bolton Market; Buffer Zone Sector 15-A; Burns Road; Sea View; Cantonment Railway Station; Chakiwara roundabout, Civil Hospital; Hassan Square; Dalmia PNS Bahadur/Mehran; Abdullah Haroon Road; Electronics Market, Saddar; F.B Area; Defence; Garden West; Golimar roundabout; Gurumandir intersection; Jauhar Chowrangi; Jinnah Hospital; Korangi No.4 & 5 markets; Lighthouse; Malir Halt; Nagan Chowrangi; Nazimabad Chowrangi; Quaidabad; Saddar bus stop of route 17; different points on Sharea Faisal; Tariq Road traffic signal; Merewether Tower; and UP More in North Karachi.
Despite the fact that the places where the incidents were taking place frequently had been identified, no additional police strength had been deployed, nor a strict check on criminals had been put, the official sources in the police said.
The prime minister during his visit to Karachi in June had noticed the growing incidents and instructed to form a task force, which was set up under the Anti-Violence Crime Cell. The progress of the task force is, however, not encouraging as they have not achieved success in eliminating the crime.
Besides, senior officials said that the mobile phone operators had not been extending assistance to the law enforcing agencies in blocking stolen sets. They were of the view that the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority should take notice of the situation and compel cellphone companies to block stolen sets on request of the law enforcement agencies.
“We are making stolen sets unusable to some extent with the help of mobile phone operators, however, this local arrangement does not last for long. The government should take notice of the grave situation and take steps for a durable solution to growing incidents of snatching and theft of cellphones,” a senior police official.
