Street crime on the rise in Shadbagh

LAHORE: The area of Iqbal Road, Shadbagh police precinct is regularly witnessing crime incidents such as bike snatching, mobile phone snatching, dacoities, wheelie-doing and eve-teasing but local police seem unbothered to address public woes.

Wheelie-doers on motorbikes without number plates are seen almost throughout the day doing stunts and teasing the female school and college students as two government-run schools and colleges along with a number of academies are situated on this road and adjoining streets. The local residents complained that it had become a risky affair to even go out during day time due to rising crimes in the area of Iqbal Road, Shadbagh, which starts from Gol Ground and leads to the Ring Road, near Bhamman village.

This road also leads to areas like Badami Bagh and people say that most of the criminal elements safely escape after committing crime. Half part of this road falls in NA-119, which is the constituency of sitting MNA Hamza Shahbaz whereas its major chunk is in NA-123 from where Federal Minister Pervaiz Malik is the sitting MNA.

The entire road falls in Shadbagh Police precinct which is the part of City Division headed by SP Ali Raza. Besides, the incidents of bike snatching, street crime, and dacoities in broad day-light have also seriously disturbed the local residents. Recently, a medical store situated at Iqbal Road was also looted by unidentified persons during day time. Salman, the medical store owner, was deprived of around 25,000 cash and a mobile phone worth Rs49,000 on Tuesday, January 9. According to him, CCTV footage of the incident has also been given to Shadbagh Police.

Asif Butt, a local resident, told The News that his family within four months has suffered twice due to street criminals. “On the eve of Eid-ul-Azha, while my son was making movie of the sacrificial animals, two unidentified motorists snatched cell phone from him and fled the scene” said Asif.

Just a few days ago, at the same place, two unidentified persons once again snatched a costly mobile set from my son again at gunpoint. He told that report of the first incident was registered but the family preferred to remain silent the other time while thinking it as a futile exercise as nothing was done previously.

In the month of November 2017, Amir Zulfiqar, a citizen who runs a beverage agency on Iqbal Road, was deprived of his new motorbike. However, the bike was recovered after a period of one month from the Cantt area.

Not only this, a medical store was also looted on Amir Road, just yards away from Shadbagh police station during day time when two unidentified bikers, at gunpoint deprived the shop owner of around Rs0.5 million cash. The medical store owner while talking to The News told that he had suffered heavy financial loss as the amount which he had to pay to other people in form of a monthly committee was looted by the dacoits. According to him, FIR was registered but still there had been no progress.

Talking to The News, SP Ali Raza, who has been recently appointed as head of the City Division, stated that situation of the area is in his notice and he would take all required measures to address the grievances of the people.