Islamabad Police Stations in Poor Condition, Cases Not Being Registered: NA Committee Chairman
Interior Committee chairman Raja Khurram Shahzad Nawaz criticises conditions at police stations and widespread drug dealing, while police officials report a 28% decline in crime and say 132 gangs have been apprehended through Safe City operations.
ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control on Thursday subjected Islamabad’s policing, crime statistics and anti-drug efforts to close scrutiny, with Chairman Raja Khurram Shahzad Nawaz expressing serious concern over the condition of police stations and the availability of drugs in parts of the federal capital.
The meeting was the committee’s 29th session and was scheduled at Parliament House on September 3, according to the National Assembly’s official website. Raja Khurram Shahzad Nawaz is the chairman of the Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control.
During the proceedings, the chairman said conditions at Islamabad police stations were “extremely poor” and complained that cases were not being registered in some instances. He also raised concern over drug dealers operating in the capital and called for stronger enforcement.
Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry proposed that a dedicated committee meeting on Islamabad Police be held at Safe City, where members could receive a comprehensive briefing on policing and security operations.
Police Report 28% Crime Reduction, 132 Gangs Apprehended
DIG Haroon Joiya told the committee that Safe City operations had resulted in the apprehension of 132 different gangs. He also said an audit of recent data showed an overall 28% reduction in crime and told lawmakers that a special campaign had been launched against illegal weapons.
Committee member Khawaja Izhar-ul-Hassan, however, sought a detailed breakdown of the claimed reduction, questioning which categories of crime had actually declined. The committee chairman subsequently directed Islamabad Police to provide detailed crime data at the next meeting.
The discussion became particularly focused on narcotics when police officials briefed lawmakers on enforcement figures. SSP Qazi Ali Raza told the committee that approximately 4,000 drug-related cases had been registered over the previous two years, while around 1,200 cases were registered during the past eight months. He said cases covered dealers involved in different categories of narcotics.
Police officials also identified Pandorian, Shahzad Town and Bani Gala among areas where drug dealing remained comparatively prevalent. The committee was told that 57 identified drug dealers associated with these areas had left their localities following enforcement pressure.
Chairman Raja Khurram Nawaz nevertheless remained dissatisfied with the situation, saying that although high-profile cases were often traced quickly and vehicle theft appeared better controlled, drugs remained readily available.
He also directed that police officers who had remained posted at the same police stations for extended periods should be transferred.
The chairman concluded the discussion with a clear directive to law-enforcement authorities: whatever measures were required should be taken to eliminate drug dealing from Islamabad.
The proceedings come amid continuing parliamentary scrutiny of law and order in the federal capital. The National Assembly’s official record confirms that the Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control has repeatedly reviewed Islamabad-related policing, administrative and enforcement matters in its recent meetings.
