The Anti-Vehicle Lifting Staff (AVLS), Model Town Division, Lahore on Wednesday arrested three alleged car lifters from the Zakir alias Razzaq Machi car-lifter gang, including its ringleader, and seized 33 cars worth over Rs 164 million. The arrested accused confessed to 47 cases of car-lifting during preliminary interrogations.
On the directive of Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Ahmed Raza Tahir, Investigation Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Ali Aamir Malik and Investigation Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Abdul Razzaq Cheema, Superintendent of Police (SP) CRO Sajjad Ahmad Manj took action against car-lifter gangs. The SP CRO constituted a special team under the supervision of AVLS Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Saleem Mukhtar Butt comprising Sub-Inspector (SI) Muhammad Rafique and other police officials.
The police team collected particulars of the Zakir alias Razzaq gang and arrested its three members, including the ringleader. The arrested men were identified as ringleader Zakir alias Razzaq Machi, Abid Ali and Ghazanfar Ali alias Mitho.
Police said the arrested accused were history-sheeters with 33 cases were traced against them in the provincial metropolis. They used to unlock vehicles with the help of a master-key and take them to Peshawar via Motorway, where they used to sell them cheaply to Imran Khan Pathan. Their car thefts could be traced to Ittefaq Hospital, Kotlakhpat, Link Road Model Town, Sattokatla, Gulberg, Lytton Road and Wahdat Colony.
The CCPO announced cash prizes and commendatory certificates for the police team involved in the arrests. The team comprised SI Muhammad Razzaq and Constables Gulfam Haider, Shahzad Qamar, Shakeel Ahmed, Ghulam Mustafa and Nasir Jabran.
CCPO visits Qilla Gujjar Singh: The CCPO later paid a visit to Police Lines, Qilla Gujjar Singh to inquire about various problems being faced by the police personnel deputed there and the attitude of office staff towards them.
He checked the Police Lines records and inspected Police Emergency 15 Unit’s barracks, quarter guard, official mess and hospital and arms store. Talking to officers and constables, the CCPO advised them to utilise their energies to combat crime to protect life and property of the citizens, eliminate crimes, maintain law and order and raise confidence of the people in the police force. He also directed reserve personnel deputed in Qilla Gujjar Singh Police Lines to remain alert in case any emergency arises.
In a separate meeting with a 15-member delegation of the District Peace Committee (DPC), under the leadership of Peer Ibraheem Syalvi, the CCPO asked for citizens’ cooperation in coping with the threats posed to peace in the city. He said the terrorists wanted to destroy the unity and solidarity of Pakistan and it was incumbent upon every Pakistani to extend whole-hearted cooperation to police in eliminating the scourge of terrorism, extremism and sectarianism.
The CCPO said regular meetings of the DCP would be held which would go a long way in raising consciousness of public against terrorism. The CCPO called upon clerics to impart the eternal Islamic teachings of unity and peace to their followers. The DCP chairman assured the CCPO of full cooperate with the police in eliminating the terrorism from the country.
The members of the DPC delegation included Khawaja Bisharat Hussain Karbali, Molana Javed Akbar Saqi, Alama Shakeel ur Rehman Nasir, Syed Ajmal Naqvi, Molana Mehmood Al-Hassan Tohadi, Molana Bashir Silfi, Amir Sadique Chaudhary, Molana Rajeh Ullah Khan Hazarvi, Toqeer Hussain Babar, Chaudhari Zaeem Zia, Agha Shah Hussain Qazalbash and others.