Street criminals operating with impunity in Peshawar

PESHAWAR: Street criminals are operating in all the urban and suburban towns, including the provincial capital daily, without any fear.

Violent robbers opened fire on the victims in a number of incidents to punish them for offering resistance and spreading terror in the area. Many of the victims have lost lives while several sustained injuries after the violent crimes are on their peak for the last many months.

According to sources, robbers opened fire in at least 41 incidents in the first two months of the year during which 74 incidents of robberies/snatching, 34 motorbike snatching and 25 bike lifting incidents were reported.

Police officials on Sunday claimed 669 street criminals have been arrested in Peshawar in the last three months, speaking volumes for the number of those involved in snatching, robberies, lifting and other crimes in a single city.

There are reports that hardly a few percent of the cases are being registered at the police stations while in a majority of the incidents, cops avoid lodging the cases by dodging the complainants in a bid to present a rosy picture to the seniors.

Capital City police Chief Ijaz Khan, while taking notice of non-registration cases by the cops had ordered all subordinate cops to register FIRs in all such cases without any delay so some instant relief can be provided to the victims. The police chief needs to check if his orders are being implemented in letter and spirit.

There are reports that a large number of incidents of snatching cell phones and cash, theft from homes, shops and other places are not even being reported to police since the victims think that they are not going to get any relief.

Apart from the weak performance by the respective station house officers and senior cops, the unprecedented inflation, as well as ice (methamphetamine) addiction, has resulted in an increase in street crimes and violence in society in recent years. The increase in violent street crimes has already spread terror in Peshawar where theft, snatching, lifting and burglaries are happening frequently. In many areas, people now avoid coming out of their homes alone after sunset. Many shopkeepers also keep loaded guns with them as a deterrence and to respond in case of any robbery attempt.

Many on social media have termed the situation alarming, asking for going after the gangs more aggressively before the situation goes out of control.

In almost all cases of street crimes, unregistered motorbikes are being used by street criminals. A ban has been imposed on motorbikes without registration as well as driving cars with tinted glasses or fake number plates to keep a check on criminals. However, most of the tinted glasses cars and vehicles with fake number plates are being driven only by the officials of one or the other departments or by their close ones who were never touched in the last many campaigns.

New Inspector General of Police Akhtar Hayat Khan after realizing the situation in Peshawar, added two more divisions and one sub-division in the provincial capital to improve supervision by senior officers. However, people are yet to heave a sigh of relief.

Officials of the Peshawar police claimed over 50 gangs of street criminals including those involved in shooting people have been busted and many of their members were arrested by the capital city police in operations during the current year.

According to Senior Superintendent of Police Operations Haroon Rashid 669 members of the street criminal gangs, including women involved in house robberies, have been arrested in the last three months and looted goods and cash worth Rs 26 million have been recovered from them. Besides, 28 cars, 70 motorbikes, 52 tola gold ornaments and 246 cellular phones were also recovered from these gangs. Many of those held were also arrested earlier who joined their gangs again after coming out of jails.

Police officials said troubled points had been identified and patrolling and checking has been increased there. They claimed to bust gangs and arresting criminals on daily basis. But this is also a fact that street crimes are happening more frequently, spreading more terror among the locals.