KASUR-The police’s topsy-turvy priorities for maintaining law and order in Kasur district have borne no fruit. Negligence on the part of police officials has left citizens alone in struggle against criminal elements.
According to a survey report, the last two months have witnessed a significant rise in the number of robbery and theft cases registered at different police stations. It seems that dacoits rule the roost in Kasur City and surrounding areas, thanks to indifferent police officials who seldom come out of police stations to do something for the safety of people. Had the police ensured effective steps for citizens’ security, they would not have lost valuables to the dacoits, picketing on roads or lurking in roadside fields, looting commuters and the people passing by. According to police sources, citizens have been deprived of cash worth Rs28.8 million and other valuables including 40 tola gold ornaments, 45 cell phones and 15 motorcycles over the past two months. Not only have dacoits robbed citizens of valuables but they have also shot at and injured many of them for resistance. One killing incident has also been reported.
In Pattoki, anonymous thieves stole Rs80,000, five tola jewellery from the house of Sobia Bibi in Madina Colony. Sarwar, resident of Rahim City, Pattoki told the police that he was at a marriage ceremony along with his family the other night. In their absence, unidentified thieves stole cash and other valuables worth Rs700,000 from their house. One, resident of Chak 44, Taragarh told the Pattoki City police that unknown thieves stole Rs230,000 from his showroom. Similarly, two robbers looted Rs200,000 from a motorcyclist namely Naveed near Dholan Chak in the suburbs of Khuddian.
One Waseem, resident of Hagriala Waltoia, was on his way in a car to deposit Rs5.3 million in a bank. Suddenly, a robber appeared with a gun. He robbed Waseem of the money at gunpoint and escaped. In another incident, two cashiers-Salahuddin and Salman-sat at the counter of a petrol pump when four motorcyclists came. They pointed guns at the cashiers and looted Rs400,000. They also shot dead security guard for resistance.
A supervisor namely Saeed Akhter submitted an application to Kanganpur police that some unidentified thieves stole 24 batteries worth Rs700,000 from a cellular company’s tower. In Chak 36, Pattoki Saddr, three criminals came to Zafar Iqbal’s house and looted gold jewellery at gunpoint. A motorcyclist namely Javed Iqbal was on the way back home when the dacoits, picketing on road, robbed him of Rs20,000, a cell phone and other valuables.
In the suburbs of Phoolnagar, bandits robbed a shopkeeper namely Sheikh Sarwar and snatched Rs250,000 from him. In another incident, occurred near Galan Railway Crossing Pattoki, a citizen namely Usman was deprived of a motorcycle and Rs20,000 cash. In Pakeezah Colony, two unknown armed persons entered the house of Shiekh Younus. They held the entire family hostage and made off with 18g gold ornaments, a motorcycle, an LCD, cell phones and other valuable items. Another incident took place near Cinema Road, Kot Radha Kishan where three bandits snatched Rs170,000 and a cell phone from a citizen namely Faisal Shehzad. Similarly, unidentified bandits robbed shopkeeper Javed Hussain of Rs20,000, a cell phone and other valuable things on Multan Road.
One Mustafa told the police that he and Ali Raza were going to Pakki Haveli from Kasur when three unidentified robbers snatched cell phones, cash and other valuables from them at gunpoint. Near Pakki Haveli, robbers also looted Rs2,500 cash, a cell phone and other valuables from Irshad. Six robbers looted a tractor driven by Zaman near Noorpur Jattan. Two robbers snatched Rs25,000 from a motorcyclist namely Zahid. A man namely Imran was travelling on his motorcycle when he was looted by three robbers near Handal Darbar. They snatched his motorcycle and Rs25,000 at gunpoint. According to police, Imran was shot at and injured for showing resistance to robbers who fled from the scene. Another robbery took place in Gehlan Chak 9, Pattoki where three burglars broke into Fateh Muhammad’s nursery. They held the nursery staff hostage and made off with Rs35,000 cash, a cell phone and a computer. The rising theft and robbery incidents have panicked people of Kasur and they express grave concerns over police failure to tackle the increasing crime rate in the district.

They flay negligence of the authorities concerned and demand their right to safety. Talking to The Nation, people belonging to all walks of life urged the police high-ups to take concrete steps for peace maintenance in the district. They also demanded that Chief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar order the police officials to perform their duty with honesty and dedication.a