The growing cases of car theft in the capital put a serious question mark on the performance of Islamabad police as 52 vehicles were stolen in June from various areas, taking the toll to 279 in the first six months of the ongoing year, Pakistan Today has learnt.
The cases of car thefts are drastically increasing with the each passing day while recovery rate is recorded extremely low.
According to Pakistan Today’s findings, 52 vehicles were stolen during the month of June. Of the total 52, the Islamabad police whose cops are enjoying double salary package, managed to recover only one car.
It is relevant to note here that during the first six months of the ongoing year, a total of 279 vehicles were either stolen or snatched at gunpoint.
Last month 52 cases of car theft or car snatching were reported in various police stations. Of them seven were snatched at gunpoint.
Margalla police station topped the list with 8 cases followed by Industrial Area police station with seven. Similarly, car lifters targeted five different places in the precincts of Aabpara police station while their fellows lifted five cars in the limits of Sabzi Mandi police station.
According to the data gathered by this correspondent from various police stations, during the month of January 50 vehicles were stolen; 42 were lifted in February, 50 in March, 37 in April, 48 in May and car thieves deprived 52 people of their vehicles in June.
It is worth mentioning here that these all are reported cases while the police are used to show reluctance in registering FIRs of car theft cases.
Besides lifting cars from various areas, seven vehicles were snatched at gunpoint, which is alarming for the Islamabad police.
The outlaws snatched a car, bearing registration number (LEA-6456) from a man when he was on his way in the limits of Lohi Behr police station while some armed robbers deprived a citizen of his car (RIR 7858) in the precincts of Koral police station.
In another strike, during the last month, the armed robbers took away a cab(XD 4887) in the limits of Secretariat police station. While their fellows snatched two cars in the limits of Golra police station and one in the area of Tarnol Police Station.
Sources told Pakistan Today that the police department is still clueless to the armed robbers who took away seven vehicles at gunpoint and to others who lifted 45 vehicles from various areas of Islamabad.
Some senior police officers who talked to this correspondent on the issue of the growing theft cases in Islamabad were of the view that this is a serious issue and the department has to take some serious step to curb this crime.
“It is alarming as 52 vehicles were stolen or snatched during the last month, but only one was recovered. I think until the appointment of upright and honest SHOs, we cannot control growing car theft cases,” said a police officer who wished not to be named. It is relevant to note here that currently some inspectors despite having tainted past record are holding the slot of SHOs in many police stations.
