MULTAN, July 15: The incidence of motorcycle-snatching registered an increase of 32 per cent in the jurisdiction of Multan range police while the cases of vehicle-theft decreased by just five per cent for the last two years.

This was said by Multan range DIG Talat Mehmood Tariq while giving a briefing to Punjab IGP Saadatullah Khan here on Thursday. Mr Khan was visiting Multan for the first time after assuming the charge of the provincial police chief.

According to an official handout, the DIG said some 31 police encounters took place during two years in which a police constable lost his life while another sustained injuries.

He claimed that the incidence of gang-rape and kidnapping for ransom decreased by 31 per cent and 67 per cent respectively. He said there had been no incident of sectarian violence in the range for the last two years.

The IGP termed the law and order situation satisfactory in the range that comprised the districts of Multan, Vehari, Lodhran, Khanewal, Pakpattan and Sahiwal. Speaking on the occasion, the inspector-general directed the local police authorities to ward off the black sheep present in the ranks of the force in order to win over the respect of people. He said in case of custodial death, the official in-charge should be immediately locked up after the registration of a case.

He said the post-mortem of the person died in police custody should be referred to the medical board to make the process transparent. "If found innocent, the concerned official be reinstated with an expression of regret over his trial," he added.

The IGP also directed that the incidence of escape from the police custody should be dealt with seriously. He said the officials found negligent in this regard be sacked after serving them with show-cause notices and fulfilling all legal requirements.

The IGP was scheduled to meet the press at 1.30pm, but newsmen had to wait for him till 3pm in the scorching heat outside the Multan range office. He did not answer even a single question posed to him. "I just want to shake hands with you guys," he said, leaving the place where the newsmen were made to wait for him for over one-and-half hour.