LAHORE: The residents of Bahria Town, Lahore, have been left at the mercy of robbers and dacoits who are committing armed robberies with impunity – thanks mainly to the inefficient and non-professional security arrangements in the sprawling residential neighbourhood of the city.
Local residents say that the robbers have been striking regularly during the last couple of months, making life miserable for them despite paying high a cost of living. Quoting the latest example of lawlessness, Ali Arslan said that marriage ceremony of his brother was going on in his house and two adjacent houses in Iris Block of Johar Town.
He said five robbers armed with sophisticated weapons stormed his house and the two adjacent houses in Iris Block at around 7:30 pm where the marriage ceremony of his brother was going on. They held the inmates at gunpoint and looted cash and valuables from the families present there.
Meanwhile, the robbers stormed the adjacent houses, held the families at the gunpoint, tied them with ropes and looted cash and gold ornaments and fled the scene. However, fortunately, some of the guest staying in the upper portions locked themselves in the rooms and informed the Bahria Town security besides calling up the local police via emergency dial up.
Ali Arslan further informed that the robbers sped away with the cash and gold ornaments before the Bahria Town security personnel reached the spot, but none of them tried to look out or chase the robbers.
“Instead of chasing the robbers, Bahria Town security personnel started blame game of inefficiency against one another,” Arslan said. Sundar Police have registered the case and said that it was the responsibility of Bahria Town authorities to ensure security of the residents.
Another local resident requesting anonymity said that the daocities and robberies have exposed the so-called security measures of Bahria Town, which extorts exorbitant charges in the name of security.
“The boundary wall is around five feet high which is easily scaled by the robbers,” he said, adding Bahria Town security personnel have been unable to nab or trace any one of the criminals. He said that the residents are living in a constant state of fear.
It is worthmentioning that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also owns an expensive mansion in Bahria Twon, which has its own security staff guarding it round the clock.
However, the residents say, they cannot afford to have their own personal security staff as they have meager income resources. “We are living a white collar life. We cannot afford the luxury of personal security guards,” they say, adding that it is the duty of Bahria Town to protect the life and property of residents.
When contacted, the Sundar police said that they registered the case and launched an investigation into the matter.
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