LAHORE: As many as 2,055 people were deprived from their valuables from January 1, 2010 to December 15, 2010, in six different divisions of the provincial metropolis, Pakistan Today has learnt.
According to the Lahore Police data, maximum number of street crimes in six different divisions of Lahore was observed in Model Town as 497 such cases were lodged. Iqbal Town was placed on the second number with 302 cases followed by Cantonment Division with 299, City Division with 290 and Civil Lines with 193 reported cases. The data excludes unreported cases including those which the police did not file. This data includes streets crimes including mostly robbery and theft cases. According to different street crime victims, unidentified bandits usually comprised of youths belonging to different gangs which intercepted the citizens on gun point and made way with their valuables.
“Mobile and money snatching has become so common that criminals now hold no fear of police and loot citizens in broad day light,” Rameez Shehzad, a street crime victim expressed his feelings with Pakistan Today. He said that he was looted by unidentified men who deprived him of his phone and valuables on gun point. He alleged that the lower staff of the police was also involved in protecting and backing these criminals. Moreover, he said that when he called the police emergency 15 they responded late and reached after one hour of the crime scene.
Another victim Harris, who was deprived from his mobile worth Rs 12,000 and Rs 25, 000 cash a month ago in the precincts of the Model Town A block, told Pakistan Today that police had not registered his case as police was usually reluctant to lodge cases to keep their record clean. He alleged that police pressurized victims to not to give an application to file the case regarding street crime.
Moazzam Abbas, who lost his Nokia mobile phone worth Rs 23,000 and Rs 5,000 cash in the month of October in the precincts of the Garden Town police, said he tried to call the emergency service number 15 for more than half hour on the crime scene but the number remained engaged. He said that Mujahid Police patrolling staff reached the scene after 45 minutes and tried to make fun of him saying that it was a routine matter and the case will not be registered as nobody knows where these criminals come from.
Model Town SP Abdul Rab while talking to Pakistan Today negated the allegations and said, “We always give priority to street crimes and I myself probed such issues.”
He said he knew about the growing rate of street crimes in Model Town and said he had launched an operation against the gangs involved and had also held two suspects in this regard. He said the crime rate was increasing because the current economic condition of the country was deteriorating and was forcing the youth to adopt illegal ways to earn money. He said most people involved in street crimes were mostly the first timers. He claimed the situation was now in control and they had controlled 50 percent of the crime rate.
City SP Dr Shehzad said the society’s culture and the socio-economic conditions made a person a criminal. A newcomer starts of from street crimes and made its way to hallowing gangs, he added. He told that the ruffians involved in the street crimes weer always on the police’s priority. He said the criminals ought to be punished but in Pakistan they were bailed out owing to their support and the absence of strong evidences.
