LAHORE, Feb 20: Monday night’s robbery at the residence of a retired air force officer and his tenant, a retired major of Pakistan army, only 400-foot from the DHA’s security office, has exposed the security cover being provided to the residents of the city’s most posh locality.

Three robbers allegedly stormed into Squadron Leader (retired) Hassan Raghib’s house (778-Z Block, Phase III) at around 10pm when Major Qaiser Mehdi’s son Haider was parking his car in the porch.

The intruders first went to upper portion of Mehdi and collected Rs25,000, a cell phone, jewellery and two licensed pistols from there. Then they came down by holding up major’s wife and other family members.

When Raghib asked his servants to open the door after hearing cries of the women, the intruders pushed the door and entered the house.

They confined both families in a room, remained there for 25 minutes, collected Rs3,000, diamond sets, cell phones and other valuables and fled in a car. The worth of the loot is stated to be Rs20 million.

During the robbery, criminals kept communicating with their accomplices who were present outside the house.

Raghib told this reporter that the robbers, speaking Punjabi, had asked them to call police after 15 minutes.

Police registered a case on the complaint of Raghib and issued a sketch of one of the robbers.

“We have reservations about security in Defence because neither the DHA administration nor police have taken measures to improve the situation,” Ms Raghib said.

Personnel of both the departments are seen at the main crossings and main entries of the society but they seldom visit all phases and blocks, she added.

Three house robberies have been reported in X, Y and Z blocks of Defence in the last one week.

“We have never seen Muhafiz force patrolling the streets in Defence and do not know why the force has been launched,” she said.

There are around 375 security officials and personnel and a number of mobile and motorcycle squads to provide security to the five phases of Defence.

DHA security officials said that they faced difficulty in manning 35 entry points of the society. They said there were 13 entry points at Charar village, considered to be a hideout of criminals.

Defence police have 10 Muhafiz force officials with five motorcycles, seven 15 vehicles and one mobile pickup but officials, according to residents, hardly perform their duty.

LIFTED: A car was reportedly lifted from Nawankot while four motorcycles were taken away from Civil Lines, Factory Area, Mughalpura and Gulberg areas.