ISLAMABAD - The unnoticed influx of criminals into the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), including its suburban areas, raises serious questions about the efficiency and integrity of the law enforcement agencies. A detailed survey of the areas situated in the jurisdiction of ICT and its neighbouring localities shows that the city is encircled with countless gangs of murderers, kidnappers, rapists, drug smugglers and other serious criminals. Nurpur Shahan, Golra, Alipur, Saidpur, Barakahu, Chakbeli Khan, Chontra, Gujjar Khan, Tarnol, Mehrabad in ICT and hundreds of smaller villages located in Taxila, Fateh Jang, Jehlum up to Chakwal have become safe havens for criminals. Nurpur Shahan, where the famous Bari Imam shrine is located, has once again become the centre of drug smugglers and hired assassins. The slain caretaker of the Shrine, Raja Akram, had actively used his influence to abolish these practices from the area, and as a result of his efforts, the area was purged of the smugglers for quite some time. After his assassination, smugglers and killers resurfaced in Nurpur Shahan yet again. According to unofficial information provided to this correspondent by the Secretariat Police Station, as many as seventeen gangs are operating in that area, and there are potential chances entailing the involvement of criminals from these gangs in the recent target killings. The data gleaned from different sources further indicates that around 600 gangs are at large in Islamabads rural belt, with Golra, Saidpur, Tarnol and Mehrabad being at the top of the list. The strict action by the Punjab government against the criminals is a pertinent reason that explains the infiltration of miscreants on such a large scale in the ICT. Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif has taken strong action against law violators since he resumed office in March this year. As a result of crackdowns against the bandits and killings of outlaws in police encounters, the criminals have started sheltering in and around Islamabad. The worst part is that despite the arrival of criminals in huge numbers that encouraged them to form gangs, our security agencies kept a blind eye on this massive infiltration. Till date, the law enforcers have arrested over 2000 suspects in various search operations conducted in different areas of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, but not a single gang has been touched upon in any of these operations in any of the aforementioned villages except for in Saidpur, where a search operation was finally launched on Wednesday and 50 suspects were arrested. Investigators are of the view that anti state elements are using local killers for destabilising Pakistan by targeting the Capital. A well-informed security official shared with this journalist that killers operating in ICT were charging from Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 150,000 for taking a life. Normally they charge from thousands to hundreds of thousands for killings but their rates multiply if the target happens to be army, police officer or any dignitary, he added. Previously, FATA and the tribal belt were considered as breeding hubs for law violators and a place where they seek refuge after committing heinous crimes in different cities of Pakistan. But with the 'provisions of 'bright earning opportunities that the Capital offers, the focus of terrorists has now shifted to this region, which was once famous for its peaceful environment and safe law and order situation.