Askari-X admin, who let the robbers out?

Suspicious attitude of the Askari-X administration to the increasing robbery and crime incidents in the society is leading the residents to believe that the miscreants are backed by none other than the admin itself, Pakistan Today has learnt. Eight robberies in the houses in the same block of Askari-X forced the residents to take to the streets, where they discovered that over 25 other houses had also been robbed. The gathering soon took shape of a protest and blocked the main airport road for several hours on late Sunday.
The residents openly blamed the Askari administration for being involved in the robberies saying that they have being showing careless attitude towards all robberies and had earlier refused to provide CCTV footage to the residents, citing the dysfunction of the cameras as excuse. They also refused to provide the data of the cars entering the housing complex, saying that they had lost it ‘by mistake’.
Major robberies specifically took place in the Block A of the society. Interestingly the residents claim that the robberies are being executed by a private security agency which is being protected by the Aksari administration. “Unidentified men in a black City with tinted windows roam in the society, break into houses and steal valuables worth millions but the society administration has not done anything,” said a victim Mian Ijaz Munir.
Another victim Iqra, who lives in the same lane, said robbers had entered her house while she was out. She said a car was parked outside her house, which she described to be the same as Munir had described, adding “I had called the security guards and they said they were not allowed to enter the houses to capture thieves and had only been appointed for patrolling the streets.”
“I called the security chief who refused to come saying that he was sleeping. The car parked outside my house started honking, as if to give a signal to the men inside. It then took off and the men jumped over house’s back wall, taking whatever they could,” said Iqra.
A resident of the same society on the condition of anonymity said the robberies have only been robbing the houses where people were not present. “Only those houses have been robbed who’s family had left the house for some work”, said the man. He further said the residents of Askari paid Rs 1,500 every month for security. “Where are the funds going if there is no security,” he said, adding that when the security chief was told about the ongoing incidents he gave a twiddling answer saying that people should not leave their house unprotected if they feared that they would be robbed.
Askari-X Security Chief Col (r) Arshad was contacted multiple times but he refused to comment on the ongoing situation saying that the ISPR was the concerned authority. Various officers from the ISPR were also contacted in this regard but they denied being the representatives of the society.
The protest marathon had erupted on Friday when the residents had closed off the main gate of the colony, barring both in and outsiders from entering or leaving.
After a few hours, the protest had ended up in a scuffle between the residents, as some had to leave the colony for serious reasons.
Askari-X is situated right next to the Allama Iqbal International Airport in the Cantonment area. The society is run by retired army officers and has carried a good reputation as far as security is concerned. The society is well-guarded and all those entering the precincts are thoroughly questioned. Guards with metal detecting instruments and CCTV cameras for backup are seen on all entrances and exits of the society. The guards also ask for ID cards on entering the society which is kept by the authorities until the visitor wishes to exit.
A top police official when contacted said this was Askari’s internal issue and that they will help the society if given proper authority and power.
The residents of Askari-X, however, have shown deep resentment against the officials of the society, adding that the colony was fortified and only with collaboration from insiders could such consecutive robberies take place.
Hiba Asad, a resident of Akari-X and a student of Lahore School of Economics said she has been a resident of the society for around five years.
“The fact that the surveillance cameras had been deliberately disabled indicates that it was not a mere coincidence”, said Hiba. “The community not just only traumatised with fear but has been also violated of their rights. The authorities need to rebuild the trust that was once vested in them,” she said.