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Crime in Pakistan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Police vehicles in the streets of Pakistan.

Crime in Pakistan is present in various forms, especially in the cities of Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Peshawar, Multan, Hyderabad, Islamabad and Quetta.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8] Among other general crimes, it includes major crimes such as murder, rape, kidnapping, armed robbery, burglary, carjacking and corruption.[9] For example, in the city of Lahore, 379 murders, 500 attempted murders, 2,650 abductions and 55 rapes have occurred in 2019.[9] A direct relationship has been identified between the crime rate and unemployment rate in Pakistan. Elevated unemployment diminishes the attractiveness of legal endeavors, consequently raising the potential gains from illicit pursuits. As a result, the likelihood of an upsurge in illegal activities rises.[10][11] Crime statistics of Pakistan shows that there is a rapid increase in the number of crime reported over time like other countries of the world, mainly due to high unemployment, rising poverty, increasing inflation and urbanization. Some other non-economic factors are also responsible for it.[12][13]

Organised crime

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Organised crime in Pakistan includes fraud, racketeering, drug trafficking, smuggling, money laundering, extortion, ransom, political violence, etc. Terrorist attacks became common during the 2000s, especially in North-West Frontier Province, the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Balochistan, Karachi and Lahore. Vehicle theft is common, particularly in the large cities.[9]

Opium production

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Pakistan falls under the Golden Crescent,[14] which is one of the two major illicit opium producing centres in Asia.[15] Opium poppy cultivation in Pakistan is estimated to be 800 hectares in 2005 yielding a potential production of 4 metric tons of heroin.[16] Opium has been historically cultivated primarily in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in the areas near to the border with Afghanistan.[14] Until the late 1970s, opium production levels were relatively static; it increased after 1979.[14] An estimated $4 billion is generated from drug trafficking in Pakistan.[17]

Crimes against women

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Violence against women in Pakistan, particularly intimate partner violence and sexual violence, is a major public health problem and a violation of women's human rights in Pakistan.[18][19] Women in Pakistan mainly encounter violence by being forced into marriage, through workplace sexual harassment, domestic violence and by honour killings.[19]

Corruption and police misconduct

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Corruption in Pakistan involves fraudulent practices carried out by officials and institutions. This can include a number of corruption practices, from petty bribery to high-profile scandals.[20]

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was ousted and faced corruption charges after the Panama Papers leak.
Corruption distorts economic decision-making, deters investment, undermines competitiveness and, ultimately, weakens economic growth of a country, which is why the problems are long-standing, and despite ongoing calls for reform, and many attempts to improve the situation, there is little evidence of progress.[21][22]

Corruption runs rampant throughout various sectors and facets of life in Pakistan, but when it comes to the prevalence of corruption, the Pakistan Police stand out as unparalleled. According to surveys and reports from international organizations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the police force is consistently identified as the most corrupt institution in Pakistan.[23]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Lahore police fugding figures big time to hide high crime rate". Dawn News. 6 March 2020. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
  2. ^ "CRIME STATISTICS". Punjab Police: Statistical Officer (Investigation Branch). Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  3. ^ "Crime Statistics for Sindh Province". Sindh Police. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  4. ^ "Crime Statistics". Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  5. ^ "Crime Statistics". Balochistan Police. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  6. ^ "2019 witnessed no lesser crime rate in Islamabad". The Nation (Pakistani newspaper). 2 January 2020. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  7. ^ "Crime goes up in Rawalpindi". Dawn News. 4 October 2019. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  8. ^ "Crimes Reported by Type and Provinces" (PDF). Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS). Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  9. ^ a b c "Pakistan 2020 Crime & Safety Report: Lahore". OSAC. 17 April 2020. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  10. ^ Khan, Nabeela; Ahmed, Junaid; Nawaz, Muhammad; Zaman, Khalid (October 2015). "The Socio-Economic Determinants of Crime in Pakistan: New Evidence on an Old Debate". Arab Economic and Business Journal. 10 (2): 73–81. doi:10.1016/j.aebj.2015.01.001. hdl:10419/187527.
  11. ^ "Crime Issues in Pakistan: What Travelers Need to Know". www.worldnomads.com. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  12. ^ "Pakistan Crime Rate & Statistics 1990-2023". www.macrotrends.net. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  13. ^ Dawn.com, Imtiaz Ali | (7 February 2020). "Karachi jumps 22 points since last year on global crime index". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  14. ^ a b c Veena Kukreja (2003). Contemporary Pakistan: Political Processes, Conflicts, and Crises. SAGE. p. 193. ISBN 0-7619-9683-4.
  15. ^ P. J. Alexander (2002). Policing India in the New Millennium. Allied Publishers. p. 658. ISBN 81-7764-207-3.
  16. ^ "CIA World Factbook - Pakistan". CIA World Factbook.
  17. ^ "Illegal drug trade in Pakistan-Havocscope Black Markets".
  18. ^ "Violence against women". www.who.int. WHO. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  19. ^ a b Iftikhar, Rukhsana (2019). "Break the Silence: Pakistani Women Facing Violence". Journal of Political Studies (36): 63 – via Gale Academic OneFile.
  20. ^ "Pakistan country risk report | GAN Integrity". www.ganintegrity.com. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
  21. ^ Nishtar (2010), in Ebrahim (2010)
  22. ^ Beyg, Saranjam (7 July 2013). "Tackling corruption". Dawn. Retrieved 24 December 2013.
  23. ^ "Pakistan country risk report — GAN Integrity". ganintegrity.com. 4 November 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2023.

Works cited

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Pakistan forgiveness laws: The price of getting away with murder (BBC News, Jan. 6, 2020)