10% increase in country’s crime rate in 2008

[Naveed Yaseen]

Shakeel Anjum
Countrywide crime rate went up by 10.10 per cent during the year 2008, statistics submitted to the Interior Ministry have revealed.

The comparative crime statistics indicated, alarmingly, upward trend in heinous offences including kidnapping for ransom, murders, highway dacoities and robberies, bank and petrol pump lootings, armed dacoities and robberies by 20.76 per cent.

This is a widespread believe that fewer than 10 per cent street crimes are reported and the police, mostly, avoid registering even heinous crimes so as to ‘maintain’ a low crime rate.

The statistics, believed to be far less than the actual, exposed that 592503 reported offences were committed in the country during 2008 as compared to 531853 in 2007 showing 10.10 per cent raise.

255 women were gang rapped in 2008, the crime figure showed. However, ratio of gang rapes went down marginally, by 1.9 per cent as 260 such cases were reported in different provinces of the country in 2007, the report said, adding that the ‘Zina’ (rape) cases were increased by 27.27 per cent.

Total crimes against people and property both went up by 17.96 per cent over the year 2008 - 203011 cases in 2008 and 172091 in 2007.

The street crime rose by 19.57 per cent while kidnapping rose to 13.29 per cent, the report said.

As many as 12059 people were murdered with the increase of 14.26 per cent as compared to 10554 during yesteryear, the crime figures of 2008 revealed. While 15083 were attempted to murder hiking the ratio to 9.13 per cent.

The alarming upward trend of kidnapping for ransom in the country was seen in the year 2008. 46.94 per cent increase of such heinous crime was shown in the statistics as 626 cases were registered in 2008 as compared to 426 in 2007. While, 14509 cases of kidnapping or abduction were reported in the year, increasing the ratio by 40.89 per cent.

The statistics showed continuous climb in street rampages including dacoities, robberies, burglaries, thefts and carjacking by 21.32 per cent as 113289 such cases were reported in 2008 and 93376 in 2007.

Heinous crimes - killings, kidnappings for ransom, highway dacoities, highway robberies, bank dacoities, bank robberies, petrol pump lootings, armed dacoities and robberies - have increased by 20.34 per cent (30867 cases of heinous crime were reported in 2007 and 37147 in 2008).

Highway dacoities increased by 46.96 per cent and petrol pump dacoities went up by 110.52 per cent, while, 60.76 per cent raise in petrol pump robberies were recorded in 2008, the crime review report revealed.

38.76 per cent increase in armed dacoities was recorded while robberies went up by 19.81 per cent.

153 people died among 749 who attempted to commit suicide due to different reasons including financial problems and malnourishment while 224 were expired among 743 who attempted to commit suicide in 2007, the figure said.

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