Crime rate shows marked decrease in 2015

Revival of death penalty

Number of murders, attempts to murder, kidnappings for ransom cases go down in 2015

ISLAMABAD: The year 2015, which saw an end to the eight-year-old moratorium on death penalty, showed a clear trend of a decline in heinous crimes particularly in the category of murder, attempt to murder, kidnappings for ransom, etc., as against the last 10 years’ statistics.

After the December 16, 2014 Army Public School massacre in Peshawar, the government decided to end the moratorium on death penalty. Consequently, in 2015 the murder cases decreased by 28.5 per cent as against 2014.

Additionally, the number of murder cases, attempt to murder cases, and kidnappings for ransom in 2015 are recorded the lowest in the last decade.Credit for this decline in heinous crime goes to all the federal, provincial, AJK and GB governments.

Official figures reveal that in 2015, the total murder cases in Pakistan were 9,486 as against 13,270 in 2014; 13,937 in 2013; 13,846 in 2012; 13,860 in 2011; 13,190 in 2010; 12,491 in 2009, 12,059 in 2008, 10,556 in 2007, 10,048 in 2006, 9,784 in 2005 and 9,614 in 2004.

A comparison between the last two years i.e. 2014 and 2015 shows a trend of decrease in heinous crimes like murder cases (28.5%); attempts to murder decreased by 21.8%; injuries decreased by 13.1%; rioting decreased by 11.9%; assault on public servants decreased by 13.9%; gang rapes decreased by 17.3% and kidnappings for ransom also decreased by 43.6%.

Overall crime against persons showed a decrease by 14.3% while crimes against property decreased by 13.6%. However, during 2015, registration of cases under the local and special laws showed an increase by 10.6%.

In the year 2015, a total of 633,600 cases in different criminal heads were registered. These include 383,055 in Punjab; 72,630 in Sindh; 152,401 in KP; 8,911 in Balochistan; 7,782 in Islamabad; 1,491 in Gilgit Baltistan; 5,764 in AJ&K while 1,566 were registered by the Railways Police.

Under the head of crime against persons, Punjab registered 44,010 cases; Sindh 16,471 cases; KP 10,212 cases; Balochistan 2,354 cases; Islamabad 1,042 cases; Railways Police 31 cases and Gilgit-Baltistan 421 cases. While under the crime against property in Punjab 77,471 cases were registered; Sindh 13,795 cases; KP 3,531 cases; Balochistan 1,591 cases; Islamabad 1,812 cases; Railways police 271 cases; Gilgit-Baltistan 208 cases and AJ&K 519 cases were registered. The comparison reveals that crime against persons in Punjab, Sindh, KP, Balochistan, GB is higher (in figures) than crime against property. The Islamabad and Railways Police have registered more crimes against property than persons.

A comparison between 2015 and 2014 shows that in 2015 murders decreased by 3,790 (28.5%) cases; attempt to murder witnessed a decrease by 3,163 (21.8%) cases; rioting registration decreased to 446 (11.9%) cases in the country; assault on public servants showed a decrease of 1,143 (13.9%) cases in the country; adultery showed an upward trend by 75 (2.3%) cases; gang rape decreased by 57 (17.3%) cases; kidnappings/ abduction decreased by 768 (4.1%) cases whereas kidnappings for ransom decreased by 179 (43.6%) cases.

Crime against property indicated a decrease of 15,565 cases in the country during the year 2015 against the corresponding year of 2014. Dacoities showed a downward trend by 80 (31.25%) cases; robberies showed downward trend by 278 (20.96%) cases; burglaries indicated a downward trend by 1,414 (8.2%) cases; cattle theft decreased by 957 (12.8%) cases; other theft showed a decrease of 2,888 (8.2%) cases; motor vehicle theft/ snatchings decreased by 6,176 (18.6%) cases in the country during the year 2015 against the corresponding year of 2014.

The most concerning aspect of the crime figures is an increase in traffic accidents. In 2015, the traffic accidents showed an increase by 1,153 cases (12%) over the year 2014. The fatal accidents increased by 552 (14%) and non-fatal accidents increased by 601 (10.6%). The cases under local and special laws showed an increase by 24,817 (10.6%).