Official figures say 10 murdered, 32 robbed daily in Punjab in 2016

LAHORE

On average, over 10 persons were murdered a day in Punjab while at least 32 people were robbed during the outgoing year 2016. 

It was revealed in an analysis of Punjab police’s official data, available with The News. The data is from the period of January 01, 2016 to November 6, 2016, and one can certainly expect an increase in crime during the whole year.

 According to the official data of nine regions of Punjab Police and the Capital City, a total of 3,601 persons were killed over disputes of property, money and honour etc. Faisalabad region, hometown of Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, topped with the killings of at least 536 people. Gujranwala region secured second position with 521 persons killed over different issues. Lahore region, the tech savvy provincial metropolis, stood third in killings with 378 murders. Rawalpindi region was calculated on fourth position with 369 murders. Sheikhupura region was fifth with 366 reported incidents of murder. Sargodha followed Sheikhupura region with 319 killings and in Multan region 309 persons were killed, positioning it on seventh number in the province. Sahiwal region secured eights position with 285 murders. DG Khan and Bahawalpur regions remained on ninth position with 259 killing in each division. Illegal weapons, traditional poor police response to emergencies, faulty investigations and police patronage of criminals after taking bribe are major factors behind the murders of so many people in the province.

The official statistics  show that overall 11,620 persons were deprived of their cash, gold ornaments and valuables. The data analysis depicts that on an average 32 people were looted a day during the period. Lahore police topped nine regions of the province with 3,096 incidents of robbery while Faisalabad region followed it with 2,066 reported incidents during the first 11 months of the outgoing year.

Gunjranwala region was third with 1,945 robberies and Multan region fourth with 1,189 incidents. In Sheikhupura region, 1,001 people were robbed by bringing it on fifth position in crime against property in the province. Sahiwal region was calculated on sixth number with 723 reported incidents of robbery while Sargodha was calculated on seventh position with 478 incidents. Rawalpindi region remained on eighth position with 451 reported incidents; D.G. Khan on ninth  with 359 reported robberies and Bahawalpur on last with 312 incidents of robbery.

Most incidents related to crime against property were still not registered by SHOs to hide their bad performance. What to talk about recoveries of the booty, robbery and street crime victims fail to lodge FIRs despite spending their precious time for many days at police stations and at offices of SDPOs and DPOs. The SHOs flout the orders of DPOs for the timely registration of FIRs. However, they register FIRs without any delay if the victim pays them demanded bribe. Interestingly, thieves made away with animals of a villager worth Rs 20,000. He approached local police with an application. The IO of the case demanded Rs 10,000 for the registration of an FIR, saying Rs5,000 will be given to the SHO and he will keep the remaining amount for investigations. One can imagine the feelings of a poor villager who had already lost his animals. It’s not the only case, people of every police station jurisdiction have similar stories. 

There is no justice for the poor contrary to the tall claims of police commanders. Lahore Police despite using latest technology and fully loaded resources worth millions of rupees have badly failed to protect the lives and properties of Lahorites. The technology related initiatives are worth appreciation but police have yet to yield desired results. Lahore Police were also accused of patronising land grabbers. An SP was also removed over the patronage of the land mafia but still most citizens especially overseas Pakistanis are being deprived of their precious land at the behest of local police. It would not be irrelevant to mention here that the commanders of Lahore Police topped the other regions in managing media through different means by breaking all records of history. A major shift at Central Police Office was also witnessed in 2016 to manage crime reporters not only for vested interests but also to hide bad performance of Punjab police.

It is also a police tactic that most incidents of daoity are changed into robberies while registering FIRs. Even then at least 800 people were robbed by dacoits in 11 months of the last year. The data further shows that 114 people were killed in the incidents of robbery/dacoity with murder. Faisalabad region topped in this category with 20 murders, Gujranwala followed it with 17. Multan remained on third with 15, Rawalpindi fourth on 13 killings on resistance, Lahore on fifth with 12 dacoity-cum-murders, Sahiwal on sixth with 11 and Sargodha on seventh with 10 such incidents. DG Khan, Sheikhupura and Bahwalpur secured eights, ninth and tenth positions with 7, 5 and 4 incidents respectively.

 In year 2016, at least 192 incidents of gang rape were reported in the province. Lahore Police topped in it with 50 incidents while Sheikhupura and Gujranwala regions stood second with 35 incidents each. DG Khan and Rawalpindi regions stood third and fourth respectively with 24 and 12 incidents of gang rape. Faislabad and Multan also remained on fourth with 12 incidents each. Sargodha secured fifth position with seven incidents, Sahiwal 3 and Bahawalpur 2.

According to the available data, 30 incidents of kidnapping for ransom were reported in the province out of which Gujranwala and Rawalpindi regions topped the province with six incidents each. Lahore and Multan stood second with four incidents each.  

Moreover, Counter Terrorism Department killed at least 110 suspected terrorists in the staged encounters carried out on the same pattern. The CTD chief, who also works as the spokesperson for the department, in his all messages, related to CTD encounters, to the media persons, “the terrorists were killed by their accomplices”. How strange that all of the terrorists were killed by their own accomplices. The credit of hushing up a big scandal of illegal weapon licences also goes to CTD which was revamped with an aim to counter terrorism.