RAWALPINDI: As the police deployed the Women Safety Squad to protect women from harassment and other crimes, Rawalpindi reported over 90 cases of street crime on Tuesday.

According to sources, the squad comprising the district and traffic police personnel has been deployed in the Commercial Market and Bank Road.

Six women were among the victims of crimes who were deprived of cash and cell phones by unidentified criminals, police sources said.

During the crime wave, 31 people were deprived of their motorcycles.

Garrison city reports over 90 cases of robberies and mugging

12 robberies were reported in which a significant amount of cash was looted and 38 people were deprived of their cell phones.

Meanwhile, two cars were stolen in addition to gold jewellery and other valuables.

A spokesman for the police said on Wednesday the police have constituted a Women Safety Squad composed of female police personnel.

The squad will patrol markets on scooters and bicycles to ensure a safe and comfortable environment for women, he said.

The squad has been established given the rush in markets during the last days of Ramazan and it will carry out market patrol and monitoring duty in addition to protecting women from harassment and other crimes, said the spokesman.

“Women can do their Eid shopping with more confidence than before as women’s safety is among the top priorities of police, which will be ensured at all costs,” the spokesman said.

On the other hand, more than 90 people have fallen victim to street crime which has shaken the nerves of the public. Robbers, thieves and burglars have been targeting people in every nook and corner of the city without any check, sources claimed.

A complainant named Shahida Khatoon left her house on the demise of her father for her native village on Monday. On her return on Tuesday, she found the locks of the house broken and three laptops valued at Rs75,000, gold jewellery worth Rs300,000, two cell phones worth Rs30,000, six wristwatches and other valuables worth Rs170,000 were stolen.

Two women were deprived of gold Jewellery worth Rs4 million by an unidentified swindler in the Morgah area, as per a complaint.

Additionally, Abdul Rehman, a cashier at a petrol station lodged an FIR with the Dhamial police saying that he was on his way to a commercial bank in Gulshan Abad to deposit nearly Rs2 million when his motorcycle broke down.

He said all of a sudden, another motorcycle rider showed up, held him up at gunpoint and snatched away a bag containing the cash.

In the Mandra area, unidentified burglars broke into a government girls’ primary school and stole children’s books along with a water tank. Moreover, Muhammad Asif, a resident of Morgah was deprived of Rs315,000 and other valuables after some unidentified burglars broke into his house in the absence of his family.

Haider Ali was robbed of Rs200,000 by two unidentified robbers in the Airport police area while Hamad Khan was robbed of Rs55,000 and a cell phone worth Rs50,000 by two unidentified robbers in Naseerabad.

Ms Farkhanda Bibi complained to the New Town police that her purse was snatched away by an unidentified robber in the Commercial Market. Her purse contained Rs4000, she said in the FIR.

A complainant named Shamim told the police that her mobile phone was stolen by an unidentified woman. Misbah Iram was robbed of her cell phone in the commercial market, the police said.

Abdul Irfan, a shopkeeper at Sir Syed Chowk was robbed of Rs137,000 by two unidentified robbers, while Kamal Arshad’s car was stolen from the Waris Khan area.

Published in Dawn, March 27th, 2025