RAWALPINDI: Around 198 people were murdered across Rawalpindi district during January-October this year as against 197 during the same period last year.

The attempted murder cases, however, registered increase as 306 incidents were reported as compared to 263 during the same period last year.

The number of other crimes that took place during the same period is even shocking as staggering 15,702 cases were registered as compared to 14,936 last year.

People lost their property worth millions of rupees in armed robberies, burglaries and thefts. Some 638 cars and 573 motorcycles were stolen, and most of them could not be traced.

As many as 486 people were kidnapped, with just one listed as kidnapping for ransom, in addition to56 rape and three gang rape cases compared to 450 kidnapping, 48 rape and eight gang rape cases in the same period last year.

People lost property worth millions of rupees in armed robberies, burglaries and thefts

There was a slight increase in armed robberies as 411 robbery cases were reported this year as compared to the 394 in 2016. However, 12 people had been killed during armed robberies in the city during last 10 months.

A noticeable increase in burglary was observed as 391 cases were reported this year as against 370 cases during the same period last year.

Rawalpindi police, according to sources, have come under scathing criticism at a recent Regional Police Officers (RPOs) conference when its performance was described as “dismal” in finding and arresting proclaimed offenders.

These figures are not easily digestible for people who have been paying their hard earned money in taxes to run police and other state machinery. “Criminals have been striking with impunity,” said a businessman who has recently been robbed.

However, the City Police Officer Israr Ahmed Abbasi acknowledged an increase in robbery, vehicle theft cases but appreciated police efforts to control bank robberies. He said not a single bank robbery had been reported this year.

“Overall trend was not worrying for the police. However, it is difficult for the police to recover stolen cars which had been taken to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for want of cooperation of KP police,” the CPO said.

He blamed the increase in kidnapping of women on use of cell phones.

Replying to a question he said police had launched a campaign against proclaimed offenders which would soon give positive result.

However, he said that due to other duties, the police could not properly concentrate on POs but expressed the hope that due to the ongoing campaign, more POs would be arrested.

Published in Dawn, November 1st, 2017