ISLAMABAD: Members of a parliamentary committee on Monday expressed grave concerns over the growing trend of crime in the federal capital.

       The Senate Standing Committee on Interior met at Parliament House with Senator Mohsin Aziz in the chair.

       The committee also took up the recent daylight robbery at the house of Senator Nuzhat Sadiq in F-10.

       “This is not a katcha area rather the federal capital,” said Senator Saifullah Abro.

       130 murder, 954 robbery, 585 theft and 47 rape cases so far reported this year, meeting told

       Senator Fawzia Arshad said people had lost their trust in the police which was a “very very sad thing.” She said in a slum of F-7 many criminal activities had taken place but the police failed to stop them.

       Briefing the committee, Senator Sadiq said a few days ago robbers looted her house after tying her husband and a guard and took away cash and gold ornaments.

       “Since a number of robberies had already taken place in our surrounding streets, we were sure that anytime we would also be looted.” She said soon after the broad daylight robbery, her husband contacted Rescue 15 but its number was constantly busy and the staff did not bother to call back.

       “I belonged to a blessed family, am not here for my case rather I want the life and property of the people of Islamabad protected,” she said.

       According to data provided to the committee, during the last three years the crime rate has witnessed an upward trend in Islamabad. The data showed that in 2018 a total of 9,465 cases had been registered followed by 9,748 in 2019 and 10,539 last year.

       When the committee members insisted on the current year’s crime figures, the SSP investigation said 130 people have been murdered and 954 robbery, 585 theft and 47 rape cases reported in the capital this year.

       DIG Afzal Ahmed Kausar, however, told the committee that the police were now registering FIRs of almost all applicants that’s why there was an upward trend in crime.

       Inspector General of Police Qazi Jamilur Rehman told the meeting that his force had been taking steps to ensure safety of people and their properties.

       He said the police had traced many cases, including some high-profile cases. There are a number of criminal groups and police are trying to nab all of them. A theft case in G-13 was traced and recently in another case the police recovered Rs22 million from a snatcher within 24 hours, he added.

       Published in Dawn, November 24th, 2021