Despite Islamabad police’s tall claims of controlling car theft in the city, the crime is increasing day-by-day as 92 people have lost their vehicles in the federal capital during the first two months of 2012, however, the police have succeeded to recover only 11 of them, it has been learnt.
Out of total 92 vehicles, 13 were snatched at gunpoint from the city. According to the information collected by Pakistan Today, 50 vehicles, mostly cars, were stolen from various areas of the city during the month of January while 42 vehicles were stolen in February. Car lifters operate in every corner of the city as they snatched and lifted vehicles almost from all areas of the capital.
During the month of February, Margalla Police Station topped the list with eight car-lifting cases followed by Kohsar Police Station where seven vehicles were stolen. Some six vehicles were stolen in February from the jurisdiction of Koral Police Station.
According to documents available with Pakistan Today, car-theft cases were reported in every 14 police station of the city. While talking to senior police officers, Pakistan Today observed that car-lifting and other crimes could not be controlled until the Station House Officers were not appointed on merit.
A senior police officer wishing not to be named said there was a group of influential police inspectors, who during the last three years managed to get SHO-ship at their desired police stations. He said Inspector Qasim Niazi, Gulam Muhammad Baqir, Rukhsar Mehdi, Fayaz Tanoli, Fazl-ur-Rehman, Hussain Lasi and Inspector Mehboob are considered to be close to influential people. By using their ‘connections’, they had been enjoying SHO-ship in various police station of the city for the last three years, he added.
Interestingly, notwithstanding presence of dozens of competent inspectors in the department, two influential Sub-Inspectors including Fazl-ur-Rehaman and Sheikh Naeem had also managed to get SHO-ship, the source said. SI Fazl-ur-Rehman is enjoying SHO-ship of Tarnol Police Station while Shiekh Naeem is posted at Shahzad Town Police Station.
It is relevant to mention here that former Islamabad IGP Wajid Durrani introduced a system for appointing SHOs after the candidates took written tests and interviews, but the mechanism also fell victim to political influence. The sources said there were 30 eligible officers waiting to be appointed as SHO, but since they could not exert any political influence, they had been over-looked.
New police station to be set up in G-13
Keeping in view the increasing population of the federal capital, the police department has decided to set up police station at G-13 Markaz. The Islamabad development party had already secured conditional approval of the proposal on a summary moved by the department, a police source said. He said the new police station along with the existing 16 police stations would help combat crime effectively in the city. The source said that security-related development projects were subject to clearance from the planning and development division. The new police station project involves construction of station’s building at an estimated cost of Rs 37.221 million, barracks at an estimated cost of Rs 58.335 million and of six police posts in Sector G-13/1, 2, 3 and 4 costing approximately Rs 51.115 million. The source said the Islamabad police were also working on a plan to ensure comprehensive security arrangements and install a state-of-the-art video surveillance system for prevention and detection of crimes and terrorist activities. To curb car theft incidents, he said that cameras would be installed at all entry and exit points of the capital as well as police pickets.