Pakistan: Lahore police manipulated 16k FIRs filed in 10 months to show low crime rate

According to a report by Dawn, for the first time an incident of burking of crime figures in such a large number that has been detected and the matter was officially reported in recent meetings of the police high-ups.

An official, privy to the information, was quoted as saying that these complaints had gone unreported when police manipulated them to show crime rate down.

He further said the citizens had filed 16,533 complaints between January 1 to October 31 in six divisions of the Lahore police. The complaints included vehicle snatching, theft and robbery.

The police had also reportedly botched up crime related to snatching and theft of vehicles.

Dawn quoted the data as reporting that 4,209 motorbikes and 139 cars or other vehicles of the citizens besides snatching at gunpoint 45 motorcycles and three cars or other vehicles from the citizens during the 10 months.

These crimes were registered in November.

“The manipulation of crime figures was often touted as worst precedent of unprofessionalism that has plagued the police department,” a senior police officer said.

The official data of refusing the fundamental rights of the citizens to lodge their complaints against criminals in such a large number has badly exposed the police officers as well as the available mechanism, Dawn reported.