GILGIT, Jan 7: The Gilgit police registered at least 619 miscellaneous cases during 2001, SSP Muhammad Dilpazeer said at a press conference here on Saturday.

The figure is nine cases short of the previous year in which 628 cases, including murders and robberies, were registered.

The SSP attributed all these crimes to socio-economic injustices, rapid urbanization, influx of criminal groups into Gilgit and thriving smuggling business along the Karakoram Highway (KKH).

In 2002, at least 20 murder cases were registered and the accused were arrested except in one case that related to poisoning of a police constable. Only four cases of robbery were lodged with the police.

The number of theft cases, however, rose markedly. Of the goods worth Rs5.8 million stolen last year, the police recovered goods worth Rs4.13 million.

The SSP said the affected people often exaggerated figures regarding their stolen goods.

Replying to a question, he said the murder case of two Czech tourists in the Ghizer district was in the final stage of investigation.

The SSP told newsmen that they had discovered the body of a missing lawyer, Ibrahim, 40, son of Alimadad, resident of Hunza, near the PTDC Hotel in the central Hunza.

Ibrahim went missing on Dec 12. The police later learnt that he had allegedly been murdered by his cousin Bashir, son of Ziarat, over a property dispute.

The police have registered an FIR against Bashir and are investigating the matter.

SESSIONS JUDGE: The federal government has extended the services of Gilgit District Sessions Judge Sher Afzal Khan for six month with effect from January 2002.