Gang rape cases spiralling in Pak Punjab despite police’s tall claims

LAHORE - Despite tall claims made by law enforcement agencies over curbing crime across Punjab, its graph during the first 10 months of 2010 has shot up by three percent in comparison to that of last year in the Pakistani province.

The data (from January to October 2010) furnished by an anonymous senior police official shows that a total of 46,071 crime incidents took place in 2010 so far, while 44,798 incidents had occurred in 2009, The Nation reported.

“The gang rape incidents increased by 14 percent in 10 months with difference of 25 incidents as total 180 women were victims of gang rape in 2009 while the lives of 205 women have been spoiled in the corresponding period in 2010,” revealed the official documents.

Rape cases also increased by 11 percent, as 2,037 incidents took place in 2009 while 2,251 of such incidents occurred in 2010.

The crime vis-’-vis kidnapping and abduction shot up by 13 percent as a total of 11,603 people were picked in 2010, while 10,296 incidents had taken place in 2009. However, the incidents of kidnapping for ransom decreased by 23 percent.

Property-related crimes increased by nine percent, as 75,140 incidents had occurred in 2009 while 81,820 incidents have took place in 2010 so far.

According to official documents, a total of 5,012 people were butchered in 10 months of 2009 while 5,287 people were killed in the corresponding period of 2010, registering an increase of five per cent.

Dacoity (395 PPC) cases also increased by 13 per cent, robberies (PPC 392) by 15 percent, motor vehicle (MV) snatching by 16 per cent, burglary by 9 per cent, extortion (382 PPC) by 11 per cent, MV theft by 29 per cent and other theft cases increased by 4 percent during this span of time.

According to official figures, police encounters with gangsters have decreased by 11 per cent, as there were 259 encounter cases in 2009, which decreased to 230 this year in the last ten months.

However, with a sharp increase by 50 per cent, 36 police officers/jawans embraced martyrdom, as a total of 24 officials were martyred last year and 61 got injured in these encounters, while 177 outlaws were killed and 201 arrested. (ANI)