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       ISLAMABAD: As police say the capital is among the 100 safest cities across the world, Islamabad has witnessed a decline in the crime and safety indexes, comprising over 300 major cities, by 30 and 19 spots, respectively.

       The database compiled by Numbeo showed that the ranking of Islamabad dropped 30 steps in the crime index during the current year. As per Numbeo, Islamabad stood at 288th with a 32.1 score in the crime index among 380 cities of the world. In 2024, the capital stood at 258th spot with a score of 31.2 among the 333 cities.

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       Likewise, Islamabad ranked 93rd in the safety index with 67.9 score among 380 cities during the current year, after falling 19 spots. In 2024, the capital ranked 74th in a list of 333 cities.

       According to the Numbeo website, it is the world’s largest database of user contributed data about cities and countries worldwide. Numbeo provides current and timely information on world living conditions, including cost of living, housing indicators, healthcare, traffic, crime, and pollution.

       A police officer told Dawn Islamabad had emerged as a hotspot for criminals in the current year as they looted or stole Rs13 million per day on average due to engagements of the police officers in non-policing issues and matters and their unprofessional attitude. Details shared by Deputy Inspector General of Police Islamabad (Operations) Jawad Tariq confirmed that people lost over Rs1.3 billion in cash and valuables in Islamabad in the current year.

       Practices are emerging in the capital police to downgrade the severity of the offence as well as downplay the crime rate in the city. However, despite no let-up in crime across the capital, the Islamabad police have introduced a number of commercial ventures.

       The ventures included a weapon handling course, self defence course, a community horse riding club, and summer and winter camps. Besides, the police also charged a fee for issuing cards for entry to the Diplomatic Enclave for a year.

       During the first three months, the police registered 6,551 FIRs despite receiving at least 15,639 complaints, in an attempt to downplay the crime rate in the city, police officers said, adding that over the practice the quarters concerned took notice and showed displeasure and sought a reply from the capital police in this regard.

       In response, the office of the Inspector General of Police constituted a fact-finding committee to inquire into the matters. The sources said that despite figure fudging in the crime cases, the ranking of the capital dropped in the crime and safety index. According to police, Islamabad is among the 100 safest cities worldwide and outranks major global capitals in the safety ranking.

       The police said Islamabad has surpassed major global cities such as London, New York, Oslo, Sydney, Moscow, Toronto, and Barcelona in terms of the safety index. According to the report by Numbeo, Islamabad is ranked 93rd among 380 cities worldwide in the World Safety Index.

       In comparison, London with a safety index of 45.8 is ranked 270th, Paris with a safety index of 41.9 is ranked 303rd, Berlin with a score of 55.3 is at 187th, Moscow with 64.6 is at 118th and Lahore with index of 63.1 is ranked 130th. Previously, the United Nations also declared Islamabad a “family station” for its staff.

       Published in Dawn, May 1st, 2025