Islamabad Police’s claim that the surprise pickets snap checking on roads, streets and near public places, and search operations is effective in curbing the crime rate, is fallacious. With all the aforementioned security measures, as many as 566 first information reports (FIRs) were registered in April this year in the capital.
It seems that making capital a crime free city is still a day dream of Interior Minister Ch Nisar Ali Khan as two dozen FIRs are being registered with the Islamabad police on daily basis and more than 150 FIRs weekly on account of heinous crimes such as murder, robbery, fraud, vehicle snatching/theft, abduction and kidnapping for ransom cases. This raises many questions on the tall claims made by the Islamabad police.
Citizen of sector F-6/2 Muhammad Tallat Cheema said that the criminals dodge these useless surprise check posts. “These pickets upset citizens, students, and job goers. I, many times, along with my friends bribed the police officials to get rid of them. Is this the high security?” He said.
Street crime has continued in the capital despite increased snap checking on the roads and other heightened security measures.
A police officer said that they had increased checking of motorists in the capital to reduce street crime.
Another citizen Imran Ali Tariq, a resident of sector G-10 Markaz spoke to Pakistan Today. He said that if snap checking is that influential, then why does the Islamabad Police not holds a press conference and reveals that how many bounty criminals they have had detained through this tactic.
He said that nothing came out of the check posts strategy during the past year and months. “Why not the police design another mechanism to trace and detain them?” He questioned.
According to the official crime data of Islamabad police shared with Pakistan Today, police station (p.s.) Bahra Kahu leads with the registration of 50 cases in April, 46 with p.s. Koral, 25 with p.s. Shalimar, 42 with p.s. Industrial Area I-9, 10 with p.s. Shamas Colony, 27 with p.s. Khana, 41 with p.s. Lohibher, 34 with p.s. Kohsar, 15 with p.s. Secretariat, 21 with p.s. Tarnool, 29 with p.s. Ramna, 40 with p.s. Sabzi Mandi, 18 with p.s. Shehzad Town, 26 with p.s. Nilor, 25 with p.s. Sihala, 20 with p.s. Margalla, 22 with p.s. Goldra, 13 with p.s. BaniGalla, 23 with p.s. Karachi Company, 21 with p.s. Aabpara, 17 with p.s. Noon and one with women’s p.s..
Inspector General Islamabad Police’s Spokesperson (IGP) Zia Ul Qamar told Pakistan Today that snap checking and pickets had yielded a significant result in reducing the street crime in the capital. He said that the criminals use stolen or unregistered bikes mostly. He added, “Keeping this in view, a campaign to confiscate unregistered motorcycles and vehicles has been underway for the past many months.”
He maintained that the campaign against unregistered bikes was an effective way to reduce street crime.
