Crime in the capital

Crime in the capital

Crime in the capital
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An alarming rise in criminal activities in Islamabad has set alarm bells ringing

The burgeoning crime scene in Islamabad has been a source of deep concern and fear for the citizens of the capital city of late, especially during 2021. The crime rate recently has climbed to alarming levels, with countless incidents of mobile and motorbike snatching, robberies, thefts, fraud being reported and witnessed here, with the police largely clueless about who the culprits are.

In what could be termed as eye-opening statistics gathered by Bol News this week, mainly from the Islamabad Police, a staggering 343 criminal cases were reported in Islamabad on December 19 alone. They include 25 crime incidents occurring on the same day, while 318 other cases occurred on varying dates, but were officially registered on the same day.

The breakdown of these 343 cases, as per the daily crime diary maintained by the police, came to 16 crime cases in the City Zone, 166 in Saddar Zone, 40 in I Area Zone and 121 in Rural Zone – in the capital and the outskirts. Among these was one case of murder and three cases of kidnapping too. On December 22, a citizen lost his vehicle which was parked inside the Pakistan Secretariat. Muhammad Asfandyar Khan, in an application to the PS Secretariat, said that he had some official business in the Ministry of Commerce and parked his vehicle in the designated area. However, when he returned, he found that his vehicle was gone.

It is astonishing to note that as many as 55 of these criminal cases were reported in the jurisdiction of the Golra police station alone. The Golra police station, interestingly, have been a point of discussion in the police and social circles recently due to somesome strange incidents occurring in its vicinity.

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In one such incident, ASI Zahoor Ahmed of PS Golra was booked under the charges of spying against the country by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). As per the First Information Report (FIR) registered by the FIA on December 13, 2021, ASI Zahoor had a sinister meeting with a foreign diplomat. The two met at the Metro Bus Station near the Ufone Tower at Jinnah Avenue with the intent to exchange some secret information and documents that could prove harmful to the safety and interest of the country.

A raid party was constituted which kept a tight vigil at place of the meeting. The FIA source confirmed that the ASI was picked by the foreign diplomat in his white Corolla, bearing tinted glasses, and both left for an unknown destination.

“The source advised the FIA official (the undersigned in FIR) to stay at the Ufone Tower near the Metro Bus Station. After a while the white Corolla car returned to the pick up point and and dropped off the suspect ASI Zahoor there,” read the FIR.

As the suspect started walking back, the FIA official along with the raiding teams intercepted him. He was holding two mobile sets, one wallet and an envelope in his hand.  Clearly perturbed by the raid, Zahoor failed to give any plausible explanation about his meeting with the foreign diplomat. However, later during on the spot interrogation, the suspect divulged that he has been taking money from the diplomat in exchange of official secrets, information and documents. Prima facie, the act of the suspect is punishable under official Secret Act 1923,” the FIR added.

Interestingly, a few days earlier, ASI Zahoor along with few other policemen, had conducted a raid on some massage centres situated at E-11 sector. According to the information gathered by Bol News, the investigators have been trying to establish some connection between the raids and Zahoor’s secret meetings with the foreign diplomat.

As per the details obtained, Zahoor as duty officer along with Assistant Commissioner Saddar, Sania Hameed Pasha and other male and female police personnel checked a few massage centres in the area of E-11/3. These raids were conducted on the complaints of general public and under the directives of District Magistrate, the FIR stated.

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The raiding party found ten persons (male and female) involved in illicit and indecent activities and were immediately arrested by the police. According to the registered FIR the massage centre was a den of vulgar activities for quite some time. The police party also raided another massage centre and arrested some more people for allegedly indulging in indecent activities.

According to police, the arrested persons had committed a major crime under section 294/109 of PPC which relates to obscene activities and abetment. These massage centres were immediately sealed and the accused involved in the crime were taken to the Golra Police Station.

However, a few days later, Zahoor’s cousin named Faizul Hassan – who is himself a head constable with PS Kohsar – submitted an application at Golra in which he stated that Zahoor’s whereabouts are unknown since November 29, 2021 and feared that Zahoor has been abducted.

It was reliably learnt by Bol News that ASI Zahoor then made his comeback on December 1 in a battered condition but some officials prevented a medical check-up on him. Soon afterwards, Zahoor went on a seven-day leave and left for his native town, Liyya in interior Punjab. He, however, reurned to join his duty on December 13 but on the same day he was arrested by FIA for his meeting with the foreign diplomat.

According to the police personnel deputed in the Golra Police Station, the accused who were arrested from the massage center on November 26 were later produced before the court and were remanded in the judicial custody. However, other sources claim that the accused in the case were awarded bail at once.

Further probe into the matter by Bol News revealed that the massage center has reopened and is operating as usual.  Some sources close to police high-ups said by raiding the massage center and making some arrests there, ASI Zahoor had crossed the redline which he was not supposed to do and was paying the price for that. The sources also confirmed that Zahoor’s father had lost his senses after his son was accused of espionage by FIA and he was not in a stable condition.

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Different versions about Zahoor’s arrest are taking rounds. The ASI’s buddies in the police department believe that since Zahoor had abused one of the accused at the massage center, he had landed into deep trouble

Meanwhile, a prime reason for the rising crime in the capital is said to be the rapidly expanding slum areas in the outskirts of Islamabad. Slum areas can now be spotted near the NUST University as well while two large slum areas are now seen near Tarnol. The Golra area, too, is also a scene of such dwellings which has surely contributed to escalation of crime rate in the sector.

And then, there are slum areas which are almost no-go areas for the police are mostly inhabited by the Afghan refugees. Similar dwelling can be witnessed on the banks of sewerage drains in Islamabad. Recently a crime incident occurred in the area of Lohi Bher where the police personnel suspect that the accused involved swiftly managed to cross the Afghan border after committing the crime. Some of migrants are also suspected by police of crossing over to Islamabad from the Afghan border in the mornings and going back in the evenings, making it difficult for the security personnel to probe them thoroughly.

Efforts by Bol News to get a response from IG Islamabad constantly went in vain till the filing of this report.

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