29,221 FIRs Registered in 50 Districts during March 2011

  • 23% of all FIRs registered in Lahore district alone
  • Attempted Murder, Hurt, Theft, and Murder Among Most Widespread Crimes
  • A report based on crime statistics collected from 50 DPO offices in Pakistan during March 2011

ISLAMABAD, June 27, 2011: As many as 29,221 First Information Reports (FIRs) were registered in 50 districts monitored by FAFEN during March 2011.

According to FAFEN’s collection of crime statistics in 50 districts of the country for the month of March 2011, nearly one fourth (23%) of FIRs were recorded in Lahore district of Punjab. FIRs in Lahore district of physical harm (264), crimes against property (1,671), and threat and fraud (924) were reported in higher frequency than in any other district of the country. Faisalabad was second among districts reporting highest numbers of crimes, with 13% of total FIRs registered there. Faisalabad reported more FIRs of crimes against women (108) than Lahore (65).

According to data collected from the offices of 50 District Police Officers (DPOs) nationwide, the highest number of crimes was registered in monitored districts of Punjab. On average each monitored district of Punjab recorded a total of 1,172 FIRs. KP followed with an average of 232 FIRs registered in each of its monitored districts, while in Sindh and ICT the average figures were 205 and 149 respectively. With an average 70 FIRs in each monitored district in March, Balochistan emerged as the province with least number of reported crimes.

The high rate of registration of crimes in Punjab can be attributed to the high population or the trust of people in the state-run judicial system. On the other hand a low rate of crime reporting in regions such as Balochistan and KP does not necessarily represent a low crime rate, but may indicate that other factors are at work.  These might include the police failing to record crimes that are brought to their attention, citizens’ lack of trust in the police, and/or the existence of a strong parallel (traditional or community-run) justice system operating in various regions.

Murder accounted for almost a fifth of the total 2,821 FIRs registered against crimes involving physical harm to persons in districts across the country in March 2011. A total of 599 murder FIRs were registered in 44 of the 50 districts that FAFEN monitored nationwide. A total of 117 murder FIRs (20% of total murder cases) were filed in Karachi district of Sindh alone. Peshawar district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Lahore district of Punjab followed, reporting 48 and 42 murder FIRs respectively.

Apart from being the third most frequently reported crime of the seven criminal acts involving physical harm, murder occupied fourth place among the five most widespread crimes in March 2011 – 44 districts reported murder FIRs. A high 47% of the total 599 murder FIRs were registered in 20 districts of Punjab, followed by 28% in nine districts of Sindh. Attempted murder, hurt, theft, murder and motor vehicle theft were the five most widespread crimes. Respectively, they were reported in 48, 45, 45, 44 and 38 out of 50 monitored districts across the country.

Besides the above mentioned cases of murder, 20 FIRs of honor killings were also registered in 11 districts of the country in March 2011. Out of these 20 FIRs, 16 were reported in seven districts of Punjab, with Rahimyar Khan district reporting the highest (5) number of honour killings in the reporting month. Similarly, 20 districts of Punjab were way ahead of other regions in reporting attempted murder FIRs, as 54% of the total 667 attempted murder FIRs were registered.

A total of 726 FIRs related to crimes against women were registered in March, making up 3% of the total FIRs registered in monitored district. A huge 80% of these FIRs was reported in Punjab, 12% in Sindh, 7% in KP, 1% in ICT and 0.4% in Balochistan. Faisalabad district of Punjab, in March, reported 108 FIRs of crimes against women, the highest in any district.

As many as 5,873 FIRs of crimes against property were reported in a total of 45 of 50 monitored districts. Twenty districts of Punjab had a mammoth share of 88% in crime against property FIRs followed by Sindh with 8% of the total, KP with 2% and Balochistan and ICT reporting 1% each of the total property related FIRs in March 2011. Lahore district of Punjab reported the highest number 1,671 (or 6% of the total) of FIRs of crimes against property.

The number of registered crimes of threat and fraud was 2,699 (9% of the total) in 27 districts of the country in March 2011. All the five districts reporting the most crimes during March 2011 – Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Multan and Sialkot – were in Punjab. As many as 15,555 FIRs were filed in the top five districts, which constituted 53% of the FIRs registered nationwide.

Theft, motor vehicle theft and counterfeiting currency notes topped the list of most frequently-reported crimes in March. Respectively, they accounted for 7%, 6% and slightly over 4% of all FIRs. Hurt and robbery constituted 4% each of the total FIRs reported nationwide, while attempted murder and murder each accounted for 2% of the total.


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