Gujar khan - Traveling along the Grand Trunk (GT) Road in Gujar Khan, Mandra, and Rawat areas has become increasingly perilous as armed gangs, some impersonating officials, continue to prey on commuters, particularly expatriates returning from abroad.
In two alarming incidents, UK-based families were robbed at gunpoint while traveling to their native villages.
In the first case, Mirza Hassan Latif, a UK national, reported to Mandra police that his family was en route to Gujar Khan after a shopping trip from Islamabad when their vehicle was hit from behind near Banth area on GT Road.
As they stopped, two armed men emerged and forcibly took Rs. 30,000 in cash and gold and diamond jewelry weighing 15 tolas, worth approximately Rs. 2.6 million, from his wife.
In another incident, Kashif, a resident of Paroj village, recounted that he was traveling from Islamabad International Airport with his UK-settled family when they were stopped by men dressed in Customs uniforms near Gujar Khan under the guise of a security check. The impostors robbed them of £1,600 (Rs. 0.56 million) before fleeing.
Sources indicate that an organized gang is actively targeting affluent families, particularly expatriates, on this key highway. Despite the rising crime wave, Gujar Khan, Mandra and Rawat police station which are situated along the GT Road have so far failed to apprehend the culprits.
Victims and residents have urged Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif and Inspector General of Police Dr. Usman Anwar to take immediate action against police inaction, curb highway robberies and ensure the safety of expatriates, whose remittances play a crucial role in the national economy.
