Muhammad Ashraf Mehar
KASUR

Criminal negligence and inefficiency of the district police have multiplied problems of the citizens and have caused great insecurity among them as daylight robberies, dacoities and snatching incidents have become order of the day, creating an impression as if the criminals have been given a "free hand" to play with the life and honour of the people.
As per details, two dacoits, riding a motorbike, intercepted a Land Cruiser and snatched Rs250,000 from Tariq Majeed whereas in the area of District Council Hafiz Shahid was deprived of his motorcycle. Similarly Advocate Shahid Bashir was in his shop in Pattoki when robbers entered the shop and made off with Rs70,000 and other valuables. On the other hand, dozens of motorcycles have been lifted from Kasur Garden area with no recovery at all. Four dacoits entered the haveli of Muhammad Riaz and took away his tractor after tying him up. Another tractor driver Muhammad Arif was deprived of Rs16,000 and cellphone in Umarabad area, property dealers - Muhammad Irfan and Muhammad Umar were also robbed of Rs400,000 in Bhoja, Mustafabad. Similarly a social activist of Pattoki Zahida Parveen was robbed during her visit to Passport Office near Kasur Museum. Two women with the connivance of their two male accomplices kidnapped a lady and also took away seven tolas of gold ornaments with them. Later, they threw the woman in a deserted place.
The police were informed through Emergency No-15 which reached the spot. The matter was reported to the Kasur DPO and a case no 376/15 was registered at the B Division Police Station with no arrest so far.
Similarly, passengers of a van (LD-5002) were deprived of Rs55,000 and ten cellphones near Pakki Haveli on Ferozepur Road. In Javed Nagar, Pattoki, Mehboob Ahmed gunned down one Sabir Hussain on suspicion of illicit relation with his sister. The supervisor of a cellular service operator Asim Ali was deprived of Rs175,000 which he had recovered from different shops.
Abdul Rehman, Sohail Hassan and Haider Ali lost their motorcycles in different incidents of bike-lifting. Numerous other incidents of bike snatching have been reported from different areas of the district. Liaquat, a resident of Baggay Village was on the way back home on tractor after selling sugarcane in local market. When he reached Neay Ke graveyard, six armed bandits blocked the road with a big trunk of tree, took down the driver and severely tortured him due to which he fell unconscious. The criminals fled away after taking out Rs50,000 and a cellphone from his pocket. The victim was admitted to Lahore General Hospital in critical condition.
Meanwhile, cashier of a filling station was deprived of Rs50,000 and a cellphone in Phoolnagar. In Gajjan Singh Wala four burglars broke into the shop of Ahsan and made off with valuables after loading it on a donkey cart. When a villager Zubair raised alarm, the bandits fired indiscriminate gunshots, injuring Zubair critically. The Changa Manga Police registered a case of the incident.
A young man Shehzad of Beharwal was shot dead by unidentified assailants. One Sajid Baswari was also looted by dacoits who took away Rs0.9 million and cellphone from him. The dacoits swept Gourmet Bakery situated on Shahbaz Khan Road. They held the guard hostage and made off with Rs800,000 and other valuables. Besides Chaudhry Pharmacy in Pattoki was also looted. In another such incident, the bandits tied Muhammad Bashir, guard of a cellular phone company tower and fled away with 10 batteries worth hundreds of thousands rupees. In Phoolnagar, the dacoits entered the house of Advocate Shahid Iqbal and made off with Rs200,000 and other valuables after taking the inmates hostage.
The outlaws also shot at and critically injured Shahid Iqbal's brother when he put up resistance. A tractor-trolley loaded with sugarcane was taken away by the dacoits after they overpowered its driver Manzoor Ahmed and threw him in the fields. In Rehmanabad area of Khuddian, Rabia Bibi, Shamim Bibi and an infant child were injured by the criminals on offering resistance. Dr Naseer Ahmed's house on Allahabad Road was also attacked by the dacoits who after making the inmates hostage, fled away with eight tolas of gold ornaments, Rs150,000, cellphones and other precious valuables. The muggers took away electricity wires worth hundreds of thousands of rupees from nine poles, plunging the entire area into darkness.
Similarly, a Toyota Hiace, owned by Abdul Rauf of Pattoki city was also lifted by unidentified car-lifters. Even a mosque in Chak 9 was not spared from where the bandits took away UPS and its batteries. In Kot Radha Kishan, a truck loaded with chicken was snatched away. Similarly, a Suzuki Carry Van with a family of Pervez Malik on board was looted of cash and gold near Jambar Kalan. Another vehicle loaded with chicken was snatched in the area of Kot Radha Kishan.
The gravity of the situation could be gauged from the rampant incidents of dacoity, burglary and snatching, but the police seem nowhere in the picture to come up with head-on measures to stop the outlaws activities.
The social, political and religious circles and civil society activists have questioned the police performance. They asked the rulers "whether the police have been tasked with maintaining law and order" or patronising criminals?
They criticised the Punjab government for its failure to take stock of the worst law and order situation in District Kasur.
They demanded immediate transfer of DPO Rai Babar Saeed and posting of an "honest and skilled" police officer to curb the crime. They also stressed the need for posting of professional SHO at police stations to chalk out a comprehensive plan for reining in outlaws and instil a sense of security among the public.
Despite repeated attempts, the DPO could not be reached for his comment on the situation.