ISLAMABAD, Feb 14: The country witnessed a sharp increase in the crime rate, recording a total of 526,540 cases in 2006 as against 438,111 in 2005, data compiled by the interior ministry revealed.

However, police sources said the data did not provide the actual number of crime cases as a large number of incidents were not reported or registered at all.

Punjab recorded the highest number of cases, 341,740, followed by the NWFP, Sindh, Balochistan and Islamabad where 115,500, 57,435, 7780, and 4,201 cases were registered respectively.

In 2005, 275,820 cases had been registered in Punjab, 104,120 in the NWFP, 47,580 in Sindh, 6,766 in Balochistan and 3,791 in Islamabad.

The data revealed that 9,857 people were murdered last year against 9,579 in 2005. In 2006, as many as 5,200 had been murdered in Punjab, 2,262 in the NWFP, 1,989 in Sindh, 324 in Balochistan and 82 in Islamabad.

The incidents of kidnapping and abduction were also on the rise last year, with a total of 10,516 cases as against 8,930 in 2005.

Last year, the number of abduction cases in Punjab, Sindh, the NWFP, Balochistan and Islamabad were 8,354, 1,399, 580, 165 and 18 respectively.

A total of 2,133 rape cases were recorded in the country in 2006 against 2,080 in 2005. Of the total, 1,593 belonged to Punjab, 250 to Sindh, 175 to the NWFP, 43 to Balochistan and 72 to Islamabad.

Incidents of suicide in the country also rose. The year 2006 witnessed a total of 175 suicides as against 155 in 2005. Last year, eight people committed suicide in Punjab, 145 in Sindh and 22 in the NWFP.

Similarly, a total of 468 attempts of suicide were made in 2006 including 247 in Punjab, 57 in Sindh, 143 in the NWFP, 11 in Balochistan and 10 in Islamabad. As many as 502 cases of this crime had been registered in 2005.

About 400 more cases of dacoity were filed last year in the country as compared to 2005. There were 2,789 in 2006 as against 2,349 in 2005. Some 1,789 dacoities were committed in Punjab, 889 in Sindh, 25 in the NWFP, 66 in Balochistan and 20 in Islamabad.

As for robberies, the year 2006 witnessed 14,705 cases against 12,320 in 2005, showing an increase of 2,385 cases. As many as 10,580 robberies were recorded in Punjab, 3,745 in Sindh, 125 in the NWFP, 130 in Balochistan and 125 in Islamabad in the year 2006.