Punjab police make public crime data, budgetary allocations for 2019-20

LAHIRE: On the orders of the Punjab Information Commission (PIC), the Punjab Police have made public all its crime data and the budgetary allocations for the department in financial year 2019-20.

According to the documents available with the reporter, Rs169 per head had been allocated in the budget for protection of every citizen, and Rs153 for every policeman assigned the task of protecting lives and properties of citizens. The Punjab police total budget for the year was Rs15.067 billion [Rs15,067,223,000], while Rs279.9 million [Rs279,900,000] were allocated for investigation of cases.

The documents show that besides the monthly salary, the police officers and employees get 59 different allowances. Some of these allowances are: intelligence allowance, bicycle allowance, commando allowance, motorway allowance, personal allowance, uniform allowance, police law and order allowance, superior executive allowance, judicial allowance, special relief law allowance, non-practicing allowance, charge allowance, deputation allowance, special conveyance allowance, Quaid-e-Azam Police Medal allowance, Pakistan Police Medal allowance, monetary allowance for bar-at-law police officers, special allowance for the disabled policemen, hill allowance, senior post allowance, counterterrorism allowance, entertainment allowance, etc.

According to the documents, Rs74.7 million [Rs74,700,000] were allocated for police Muharram duties in 2019-20.

According to the data provided by the Punjab police, 2,152 murders were committed in the province in 2020, while the number stood at 1,944 in the previous year [2019], showing an increase of 208 murders.

In 2020, 3,773 rape were committed in the province, compared with 3,881 in 2019, showing a decrease of 108 cases. Three cases of rape during dacoity were reported in 2019, and in 2020, four such crimes were reported. As many as 210 cases of religious nature were filed in 2019, which increased in 2020 with registration of 487 such cases. Extortion cases showed a declining trend with 276 cases in 2019 and 237 cases in 2020 across Punjab.

According to documents, in 2019-20, 29,531 cases for children’s kidnapping were registered. In 2019, there were 15,025 cases, whereas in 2020, there were 14,506 cases.

During this period, 125 cases of kidnap for ransom were registered, whereas 89 culprits escaped the police custody. In 2019-20, 14,689 cases for cattle theft were registered. Of these cases, 7,003 were registered in 2019, whereas 7,681 in 2020. The maximum cases (93,262) were registered under the Arms Ordinance in Punjab. There was a 31 per cent rise in these cases in 2020 and 52,967 cases were registered. The Punjab Police allocated Rs 12,000,000 for the maintenance of vehicles. Under the head of counterterrorism, Rs 1,046,798,000; for martyred cops and officers’ salary Rs 147,517,000 and for the Police Law and Order Allowance, Rs 8,240,160,000 were paid. In 2019-20, the Punjab Police released Rs 358,811,000 for telephone bills, Rs 598,557,000 for electricity bills, Rs 4,700,989,000 for petrol, Rs 1,221,046,000 for uniforms and Rs 416,702,000 for secret services.