Threat, fraud crimes up by 28pc
07 July, 2012
ISLAMABAD: According to a Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) report threat and fraud crimes have increased by 28 percent per district during the February-April quarter. The report showed that a total of 2,329 FIRs had been filed in February in 78 districts, while in March 2,778 had been reported from 77 districts and a total of 3,029 were filed in April from 81 districts. FAFEN monitors visited 81 offices of district police officers (DPOs) across the country and gathered data regarding First Information Reports (FIRs) registered in April for 27 offences falling under the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). Of the monitored districts, 28 were in Punjab, 22 in Sindh, 19 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 11 in Balochistan and one in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT). A total of 43,449 FIRs were registered in 81 districts during the quarter, with 18 percent crimes relating to property, 9 percent to physical harm, 7 percent regarding threat and fraud and 2 percent against women. Moreover, 64 percent of the cases were bracketed as 'other crimes'. A region-wise breakup showed that 69 percent of these crimes had been reported in Punjab, followed by 21 percent in KP, 9 percent in Sindh and 1 percent in Balochistan. A rise of 41 percent was observed in ICT where the number of cases had increased from 148 in March to 210 in April. The reason for better crime reportage in Punjab as compared to other regions was accredited to better outreach, lack of parallel judicial systems and a higher confidence level of the police. Of the 1,014 FIRs for crimes against women, 30 percent were for attacks on modesty, while rape remained the most widespread reported crime with 24 percent FIRs from 43 districts showing a 10 percent increase from March. Twenty-nine percent of the total crimes against women were those of forced marriages, followed by 14 percent relating to marriage and 3 percent regarding honour killings. Ten districts out of the monitored 81 reported half of the total crimes. Nine of these districts were in Punjab while the other was in KP. Lahore, Faisalabad and Peshawar recorded the highest number of crime cases. End.
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