LAHORE: As the economy has taken a nosedive, inflation is on the rise and the common man is finding it hard to make ends meet, the provincial capital is seeing a massive surge in street crime.

The official data of the crime of the first three-and-a-half months of the year paints a very dismal picture. Over 90pc of the crime has been committed at gunpoint, showing the robbers fearlessly brandishing illegal weapons in the city to deprive the citizens of cash and valuables. The criminals are so desperate and fearless of the police action that they are even lifting bicycles too. The thieves have taken away 143 bicycles from various parts of the provincial capital during the first three-and-a-half months of this year besides 5,366 motorcycles.

Lahore has six police divisions, 35 circles and 84 police stations. Each division is headed by a superintendent of police (SP) while circles are headed by sub-divisional police officers (SDPOs). But despite the appointment of so many police officers in such a large number, the criminals are on rampage, looting and depriving citizens of their belongings fearlessly. The official data shows that 89 citizens have been allegedly murdered in Lahore in about the first quarter of 2023.

Most of the murders incidents – 20 each – were reported in City and Saddar divisions.

Criminals are targeting even bicycles; firearms used in 90pc of crime

Of the other divisions, 19 citizens were murdered in Model Town division, 17 in Cantonment division, seven in Iqbal Town and six citizens were allegedly killed in Civil Lines police division. Nine citizens were also kidnapped for ransom during the same period.

About the robberies, the data shows that the criminals robbed 3,813 citizens at gunpoint.

The City and Saddar divisions were again at the top among other divisions by reporting the highest number of robberies 933 and 874, respectively. As many as 618 robberies were reported in Model Town division, 611 in Cantt, 462 in Iqbal Town and 320 in Civil Lines police division.

Motorcycles are now the economical means of communication for the citizens from middle and lower middle class due to high petrol prices and the prevailing economical situation of the country. The motorcycle companies increased the prices of two-wheelers to almost double, making them more vulnerable to theft. The Lahore police are finding it hard to control motorcycle theft or trace and recover them.

The official data shows the bike theft was also at staggering high in the provincial capital Lahore.

According to the data, the criminals snatched 327 motorcycles at gunpoint from the citizens taking the City and Saddar divisions to the top again by reporting the high number of such crimes, 79 and 75 motorbikes, respectively snatched by the robbers.

Of the others, 70 motorbikes were snatched from the Cantt division, 63 from Model Town, 30 from Iqbal Town and 10 were snatched at gunpoint from the Civil Lines police division. Similarly, 5,366 other bikes were stolen from all the six divisions of the city during the first three-and-a-half months of 2013.

Of them, 1,249 motorcycles were stolen from Saddar division, 1,155 from City, 953 from Cantt, 873 from Model Town, 613 from Civil Lines and 523 motorcycles were lifted from Iqbal Town police division.

The data further shows 568 other vehicles, including 109 cars, were lifted from the city of Lahore during the same period. The situation was also very disturbing in respect of other kinds of crime, including house robberies, burglaries etc.

According to the data, 5,544 incidents of burglaries were reported from January to March 15 in the provincial capital Lahore, depriving the citizens of hundreds of millions of rupees.

Similarly, the Lahore city reported 11,668 other crime during the same period besides 22 incidents of child rape, 126 of cattle theft, five of gang rape, 652 of kidnap of women and children, 5,318 of pick-pocketing, 217 of attempted murder and 25 incidents of robbing citizens outside the banks.

Published in Dawn, April 3rd, 2023