The Islamabad Police have not been able to complete a survey of tenants in the Federal Capital despite a lapse of over four years due to lack of commitment and coordination with community members and property owners.
Several attempts have been made since 2011 to conduct a survey of the residents of Islamabad, but in vain. The police in consultation with property dealers and hotel management had finalised a proforma requiring information about the tenants, which was to be submitted by them with relevant police stations.
Only a few hundred forms were submitted last year by property owners in a total of 22 police stations of Islamabad, an official in the office of Senior Superintendent of Police (Operations) said.
He said the property dealers were also asked to provide details of each agreement among the tenants and house or shop owners reached through them to the respective police stations. They were also advised not to accommodate strangers.
However, the official said that a few such rental agreements were received in police stations.
The police started renewed efforts at the start of 2014 following the directives of Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and conducted surveys in a few areas, especially in slum areas inhabited by Afghan people.
“The survey launched last year has not yet been completed. More than 2,500 property dealers have been registered so far by the police with particulars of a few tenants,” the official said.
It may be added that the unsuccessful drive for registration of tenants was launched in June 2011 when the incumbent Inspector General of Police Islamabad Tahir Alam Khan was an SSP.
Meanwhile, the Islamabad Police spokesman said that the tenant survey should be conducted on a continuous basis as people from various parts of the country continuously come to Islamabad or leave their home here. “Such exercise should not stop, and efforts to get first hand information about the tenants in various areas should continue,” he added.
About the success of last year’s survey campaign, he said that the police compiled particulars of 12,426 families in January 2014 only in Bahra Kau.
The spokesman appealed to the community notables and tenants to cooperate with the special police teams assigned the task of survey and submit their correct data, so that their security with that of the Capital city could be ensured.
He said the was divided into 87 beats, each headed by a police officer of Sub-Inspector level, while vigilance committees were established to keep a check in their surrounding areas.
He said that the population of Capital was increasing day by day and it was the collective responsibility of police and the citizens to remain vigilant.
When contacted, IGP Islamabad Tahir Alam Khan said that the survey was launched by the police in collaboration with the Capital Development Authority to register tenants. The survey of `sectoral areas’, he said, had been completed while it was yet to be conducted in other localities.
He, however, refused to share any further details about the survey or the objectives achieved so far.