DERA GHAZI KHAN: In the last month, 18 high-profile robbery cases in which valuables worth Rs30 million were taken away, were registered in the city circle of Dera Ghazi Khan, as per the police record.

Among them, Rs800,000 were taken away from Asif Razzaq, executive member of the local chamber.

Dwellers are living in a sense of insecurity as Dera Ghazi Khan city has been in the grip of dacoities, vehicle snatching and theft incidents.

In Dera Ghazi Khan city are six police stations – City, B-Division, Civil Lines, Saddar and the CIA staff – to maintain the law and order of the city.

Other than robberies, 96 cases of vehicle snatching were registered under section 381-A of the PPC. Up to 20 incidents of theft were registered too.

The month of December started with a Rs70 million robbery in the Gaddai police area where gunmen stole medicines from a multinational’s warehouse, owned by Sheikh Naqeeb, on Dera-Quetta Road.

The footage of at least 70 CCTVs installed in and around the warehouse show 11 robbers spent more than four hours at the warehouse pinning three guards. They loaded medicines worth Rs70 million on three trucks and fled.

City president of the Traders Association Jan Alam Leghari and Dera Ghazi Khan Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Dr Shafique Pitafi demanded immediate arrest of robbers and recovery of the looted items.

District Bar President Azmat Islam Ghilzai said the main cause of the alarming increase in robberies, vehicle theft and street crime was the side effects of posting of non-resident station house officers who did not know about the area and localities of the city circle.

He demanded withdrawal of the policy regarding the appointment of non-resident police officers in the district.

District Police Officer Muhammad Ali Waseem told Dawn that different teams were working to trace the criminals.

Published in Dawn, December 10th, 2021