LAHORE – No letup has been witnessed in the incidents of dacoities, armed robberies, burglaries, rapes and kidnappings in Punjab even though the killings of alleged criminals in fake and staged encounters have almost doubled.
According to the police record, the law-enforcement agency killed at least 174 gangsters in ‘encounters’ from January 1 to July 31. During the corresponding period of the previous year, the police had eliminated no less than 90 gangsters, mostly in fake and staged encounters that took place in different parts of the province.
From street crimes to auto-lifting and armed robberies to house dacoities, the police have miserably failed to smash the organised gangs, which are striking brazenly and with impunity in the heart of Lahore, the provincial capital.
Dacoits and robbers struck no less than 200 times in different parts of the City and fled away after looting cash, gold ornaments and other valuables worth Rs60 million during the past seven days. Not enough, at least 150 cars and motorcycles were either stolen or snatched from different parts of the City during the same period.
Interestingly, the police were on high-alert across the City to maintain the law and order situation when the gunmen riding motorcycles and organised gangs struck residences, shops, motorists and passers-by at their will and fled away.
Police sources reveal that auto-lifting has become a flourishing industry for the gangsters in the provincial capital because on average about 20 citizens are deprived of their vehicles daily. Apparently, it seems that Lahore police have completely given up when it comes to street crimes and armed robberies.
According to official statistics, compiled by Punjab police, at least 12,201 vehicles were taken away from January 1 to July 31 from different parts of the province. Ironically, the police have declared 4,052 cases of auto-lifting as untraceable. This means that these vehicles would never be recovered because the investigations have been shelved once and for all.
Similarly, gunmen snatched away at least 4,181 vehicles from different parts of the province during the first seven month of this year. The police investigators have declared no less than 698 cases of vehicle-snatching as untraceable.
According to data collected from different sources, Lahore police registered more than 800 cases of car theft; 2,704 cases of motorbike theft; 270 cases of other vehicles’ theft; 132 cases of car snatching; 415 cases of motorbike snatching; and 45 cases of other vehicles’ snatching during the first seven months of this year.
Top police officers serving in the Punjab capital believe that loadshedding, poverty, unemployment and greed for wealth are the main reasons behind the recent surge in incidents of street crimes and armed robberies.
A senior police officer views that street crimes shoot up in other parts of the City when massive police are deployed in certain areas. Thieves and robbers play hide and seek with the police, he added. The officer, however, admitted that the police failed to implement an effective strategy to counter crimes of heinous nature.
According to a police officer of good repute, who wished not to be named, the police are patronising gangsters, and running brothels and gambling dens in the City. He admits that gambling dens, drug businesses and brothels are operating in the City in connivance with the police.
Several other policemen, during background discussion with this scribe, also say gangs cannot run brothels, gambling dens and drugs businesses without police protection; and the police get their ‘due’ share from the criminals on daily, weekly and monthly basis.
They further say hundreds of touts are working as the front men of different police officers and officials to collect bribe from the gangsters at the police station level. They also reveal that since the cops are busy in minting money, no one should expect improvement in the worsening law and order situation. They further view that strict accountability and severe punishment are a must to root out corruption from the police department, which needs a complete overhaul.