LAHORE, Jan 26: The crime rate has almost doubled in the provincial capital during the last six years with alarming surge recorded in heinous occurrences, including robbery-cum-murders and kidnapping for ransom.

As per official figures Punjab police chief Ahmad Nasim submitted here on Friday to a Lahore High Court’s full bench, 32,947 crimes were registered in the year-2001 whereas 2002 witnessed registration of 38,945 crimes with 18 per cent increase in overall crime occurrences.

In 2003, the IGP said, 42,930 crimes were registered, showing a 10 per cent surge from 2002.

The year 2004 recorded registration of 52,387 crimes which were 22 per cent more than 2003 while as many as 54,343 crimes were registered in 2005, showing an upward trend of crimes by four per cent.

The year 2006 witnessed registration of 61,037 crimes with eight per cent increase.

“The statistics reveal a steady increase in crime during the last six years, ranging from four per cent to 22 per cent. Increase remained above 10 per cent in the years 2002, 2003 and 2004, whereas it declined in 2005 up to four per cent. During 2006, crime increased by eight per cent which is quite normal and can be attributed to increase in population and other socio economic conditions,” the police chief observed in his comments in the paragraph below the chart of overall crime situation in the provincial capital during the last six-year period.