Lahore crime rate declines, DIG Faisal Kamran says

LAHORE: DIG Operations Lahore Faisal Kamran visited the Lahore Press Club and attended the “Meet the Press” programme as the chief guest. President Lahore Press Club Arshad Ansari, Senior Vice President Salman Qureshi, General Secretary Afzal Talib, Joint Secretary Imran Sheikh, Finance Secretary Salik Nawaz, Governing Body members Syed Sajjad Kazmi, Sarmad Farrukh Khawaja, Asad Mahmood, Syed Badr Saeed and Kamran Khan, along with office-bearers of the Crime Reporters Association and senior journalists, attended the event.

Welcoming the distinguished guest, Lahore Press Club President Arshad Ansari said that the police and journalists had a close working relationship and both professions were jointly striving to eliminate crime from society. He appreciated the tireless efforts and policies of DIG Operations Faisal Kamran, saying that they had contributed to a decline in the crime rate in Lahore.

Speaking to the media, DIG Operations Faisal Kamran said that in June 2023, as many as 9,149 incidents used to be reported in a single month, whereas the number had now come down to around 900 calls. He said tackling crime in any major city was a major challenge, adding that metropolitan cities such as New York also faced numerous challenges in this regard.

He said that the Safe City, CCD and Lahore Police had worked jointly to control crime. Safe City’s assistance was sought in tracing reported incidents, he added. He said that Lahore had witnessed a decline in its crime index compared with 380 cities around the world.

Faisal Kamran said that in 2026, major events including Basant, Ramazan, Sehri, Eid shopping and other public events, as well as Eid-ul-Azha and Muharram-ul-Haram, were held peacefully. Lahore Police continued to perform its duties during all these events, he added.

The DIG Operations said that, besides these measures, the accountability system within the police had also been strengthened. “Wherever there is corruption, I will take strict action,” he said.

He said that in 2023, Rs3.6 million had been provided for the welfare of police personnel, whereas Rs60 million had so far been provided for their welfare.

He further stated that during the past two and a half years, he had personally heard the grievances of 55,050 people at open courts, adding that 70 to 80 per cent of the complainants had expressed satisfaction with the resolution of their complaints.

The DIG Operations said that an MoU had also been signed between Lahore Police and the legal fraternity under which free legal assistance was being provided to deserving and underprivileged people. He added that Lahore Police was also taking strict action against usury and illegal money-lending.

At the conclusion of the programme, Lahore Press Club President Arshad Ansari and representatives of the Crime Reporters Association presented commemorative shields and bouquets to DIG Operations Lahore Faisal Kamran.