Street crime is increasing in Lahore, Pakistan, while citizens are struggling to cope with rising inflation, according to a report by Dawn. Official data for the first three-and-a-half months of this year shows that over 90% of crimes have been committed at gunpoint, indicating that robbers are fearless and armed with illegal weapons.
Criminals have even started stealing bicycles. The report shows that 143 bicycles and 5,366 motorcycles were stolen from various parts of the city during this period. Despite Lahore having six police divisions, 35 circles, and 84 police stations, citizens are being robbed, and official data shows that 89 people were allegedly murdered in Lahore in the first quarter of 2023. Most of the murders occurred in the City and Saddar divisions.
According to Dawn, Provincial Interior Minister Abdul Rehman Kanju admitted that the street crime rate has increased in Islamabad. He did, however, assert that the government was making good efforts to protect its citizens. The minister made these remarks in response to a calling attention motion made by PTI Member of the National Assembly (MNA) Asiya Azeem regarding the rise in crimes against women in Islamabad,
The Interior Minister said that the Eagle Squad had been formed to patrol the streets on motorcycles and that there had been a significant decline in the crime rate since its formation. Since the beginning of the year, no cases of house robberies have been reported in the capital, according to Kanju. Kanju asserted that the government’s directives to the police to record every first information report (FIR) contributed to the increase in crimes against women.
