ISLAMABAD, the capital of Pakistan, is generally referred to as the safest city in the country. And for a long time things were actually good. A list shared by the local deputy commissioner’s office earlier in September ranked Islamabad as the second-safest city in south Asia. But things have not been that good for a while now.

There have been various incidents of robberies and snatchings in the federal capital, including a bank van robbery near the I-9 police station, a robbery at a friend’s house in the G-8 sector, and a snatching near my residence in the H-9 sector. There is a long list of such incidents.

According to a report, street crimes in the federal capital increased rapidly this year. Within the first seven months of the year, there were 58 incidents of cash snatching and 17 incidents of jewellery snatching reported in the capital. In addition, 73 incidents of mobile snatching, compared to 41 during the same period last year, 19 incidents of car snatching, and 51 incidents of motorcycle snatching or theft were reported at different police stations of Islamabad.

Apart from registered cases, there are a number of incidents involving street crimes that take place every day, but go unreported.

Talking to students during a university class about the menace of street crimes in the capital city recently, I learned that almost every one of those students had personally faced mugging — involving either cash or mobile phone — on the streets of the city at various points and times.

This is the actual situation prevailing in the federal capital and it is perhaps time to stop calling it ‘the safest city’. It is actually like any other city in the country.

The government, especially the city administration, should come out of complacency and take immediate steps for improving and then sustaining the law and order situation in the city. The citizens have the right to feel safe and protected.

Babar Ali
Islamabad

Published in Dawn, November 26th, 2021