GUJRAT: Prevention and detection of crime in Sialkot seems to be an uphill task for the regional police due to a lack of human resource.

However, Gujrat, the neighbouring district of Sialkot, has almost 50 per cent more force despite the fact that the latter has at least 37pc more crime ratio and a million more population.

According to statistics, Sialkot with a 3,016-square kilometre area, population of 3.9 million and annual reported crime of 15,200 only has 2,509 police personnel (constables, head constables, upper subordinates).

Gujrat, on the other hand, with a population of around 2.9 million and 3,192 sq km area and annual reported crime of 11,112 has at least 4,389 cops.

Similarly, the crime against property in Sialkot is 3,224 and against person 1,849, as compared to Gujrat’s 1,114 and 1,306, respectively.

In 27 police stations of Sialkot, 1,276 cops are deployed and in Gujrat’s 23 police stations, there are 1,829 cops, resulting in a ratio of one policeman for 1,554 people in Sialkot.

The Gujranwala regional police planned to propose a special package for Sialkot. The political leadership of Sialkot has also been requested by the police high-ups to demand a package for their district to enhance the capacity and strength of the police.

Gujranwala Regional Police Officer Riaz Nazeer Gara told Dawn that both Sialkot and Gujrat were among B-category districts of Punjab police, but there was a huge gap between the human resource and crime ratio, which should be reduced by employing more personnel in Sialkot.

He said he had issued directions to Sialkot District Police Officer Hassan Asad Alwi to chalk out a plan to seek a police package for the district that could create job opportunities for the youth as well as help prevent and detect crime there.

Former chief minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi had approved the recruitment of at least 2,400 policemen for his home district of Gujrat in 2006-07 after which the strength of the police force there had increased as compared to the neighbouring districts.

Published in Dawn, February 2nd, 2021