It seems the federal capital is an easy field for car thieves as during the first seven months of the ongoing year, they lifted or snatched 319 vehicles from the citizens, Pakistan Today has learnt.
During the last month, the car lifters and snatchers deprived 40 people of their vehicles. According to sources, the recovery rate is recorded very low. Police record (from July 1 to July 31) shows that out of 40 vehicles which were lifted in July, the police managed to recover only one.
According to the data gathered by this correspondent from various police stations, 319 vehicles were stolen or snatched during the first seven months of the ongoing year.
During the month of July, 40 cases of car thefts were registered, in June 52 cases, in May 48 cases, in April 37 cases and in March 50 cases while 42 cases were registered in February and 42 cases in January.
Sources claim that of total 317 lifted or snatched vehicles only few have been recovered so far.
According to the data, during the month of July, Aabpara police station topped the list vis-à-vis car stolen cases with 8 cases of car lifting or snatching, while 6 cases of car stolen were registered with Margalla police Station. Whereas, Sabzimandi police station registered 4 and Kohsar and Shahzad Town police stations registered 3 each cases. According to police sources, many car-lifting gangs were operating in the city. Some opted to steal cars to sell them while some of them only stole cars for CNG kits or cylinders. In such cases, when car thieves left the cars some miles away after taking away CNG kits or cylinders, police showed reluctance for registering FIRs.
“Last month some car thieves lifted my cab from Sector G-6/2. I immediately informed Aabpara police. SHO and other police officials visited me and assured me of trying their best to recover my cab. After a few hours, I found my cab parked near my house, but without the CNG cylinder. However, the police are not registering an FIR,” said Ghazanfar Mahmood, a cab driver.
While talking to senior police officers, Pakistan Today observed that till the appointment of upright and honest officers as station house officers, the department cannot control car thefts and other crimes.
When contacted, the spokesman for Islamabad police claimed that during the current year, the police recovered 95 cars. When asked whether he was talking about recovery of the cars stolen in 2012 or in the previous years, he said it was a total recovery. “We are trying our best to stop car thefts. During the current year, we recovered 95 vehicles besides arresting over 100 car lifters,” he added.
30 key police posts vacant
Despite passage of several months and due to shortage of police officers, around 30 important positions of high-ranking officers are lying vacant in the police department of Rawalpindi region.
Police sources said that five posts of superintendents are lying vacant which include superintendent CIA, superintendent VVIP and senior traffic police officer Rawalpindi, SP investigation Jhelum and Chakwal, Rawalpindi and Attock.
In order to fill the position temporarily, SP Headquarters Israr Abbasi has been given additional charge of superintendent CIA and VVIP.
Appointment against four positions of SDPOs could not be made in the region, Cantonment Circle, New Town Circle and Saddar Circle in Jhelum and Talagang Circle in Chakwal.
Moreover, 21 seats of deputy superintendents (DSPs) were also vacant. They are four DSPs investigation, three DSPs VVIP security, one each of DSP PMT and DSP crime record office and two posts of DSP organised crime.
In Jhelum, DSP organised crime headquarters, in Attock DPS crime record office and one each of DSP legal and DSP organised crime and in Chakwal DSP headquarters, DSP crime record office, DSP organised crime and RBI were without regular officers.
It should be mentioned here that the Punjab government announced induction of police personnel, but due to shortage of officers in the Punjab police, various important post are lying vacant.
It is alarming situation. Cars are being stolen inside the houses. In my street 47 F/11/3 two cars have stolen both new corolla from the houses. Nothing recovered.
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