ISLAMABAD: What can be dubbed as an intense and alarming situation in the federal capital, as many as 21 cases of kidnap, including 16 cases of rape of female children and one case of a molested male child have been registered in the first twenty days of 2020 – a figure that raises many eyebrows.

While more than 400 children were raped, molested and filmed in Punjab’s district Kasur during 2006 and 2014, rapists seem to have set their eyes on Islamabad now, Pakistan Today learnt reliably on Wednesday.

The tall claims of Islamabad police about making the capital safer for citizens have proved fake after this shocking figure of kidnaps for rape emerged from the police record itself.

According to the details, three cases were registered in Sihala police station and two in Khanna police station whereas one case each was registered police stations, including Karachi Company, Goldra, Tarnol, Margallah, Shehzad Town, Abpara, Nilor, Koral, Kohsar, Industrial Area I-9, Bahra Kahu and Sabzi Mandi.

The important fact here is that police have failed to nab any of the ‘unknown accused’ in rape cases and treat them as routine criminal matters involving petty crimes.

Kidnap cases for rape and molestation are registered under section 364-A for children and 365-B for a teenager of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). These cases are registered after getting a medical report from the medico-legal officer of the government run-hospital after which it is established whether sexual abuse happened or not, but even reports are not enough for the police to bat an eye over this issue.

In one case, a 13-year-old boy was molested and filmed so he could be blackmailed into carrying out robberies and shoplifting for a gang that was previously accused of the same charges in the jurisdiction of Kohsar police. “Most rape and molestation cases after kidnap are difficult to investigate as the accused are unknown,” said a police investigation officer (IO) requesting not to be named.

It is pertinent to mention here that in 2018, a staggering 3,800 cases of sexual abuse of children were registered across Pakistan.

Muhammad Ali, a family member of one victim, told Pakistan Today that police don’t seem to be making serious efforts in detaining accused rapists. “It is becoming a norm that neither will the police take any action nor will victims of rape get justice until the public comes out, blocks the roads, gathers media, and scream ourselves hoarse over the insufficient investigations…just like the family of 10-years-old Farishta did in Taramri Chowk (in 2019),” he said.

It may be mentioned here that Farishta’s father, Muhamamd Nabi, had revealed that police had simply refused to register a case and treated him worse than animals when his daughter disappeared on May 15, 2019. Police officers told Nabi to sweep their offices and get food for Iftar, meanwhile, his child’s half rotten corpse appeared in Islamabad on May 20.

It is an unfolded truth that the police always show reluctance to register cases of various types of abuse especially sexual abuse as it dents their image and would require them to work for money which is usually obtained easily through bribery.

To take the police’s version of this crucial matter of increasing rape and molestation cases in the federal capital, repeated efforts were made to contact Inspector General of Police (IGP) Aamir Zulfiqar Khan, however, he did not respond to this scribe’s calls or messages.

When contacted, Islamabad Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Operations Waqar Ud Din remained tight-lipped and referred to Saddar Superintendent of Police (SP) Umar Khan for an official version.

SP Umar Khan told Pakistan Today that all cases are being investigated with due attention and guaranteed that progress is being made in each case. “Previously, police used delaying tactics in registering these cases but now they register a case on the same day they receive an application,” he maintained.

“Almost all the cases that occurred in 2019 have been traced or solved. Investigating child abuse cases are the top priority of Islamabad police,” he concluded.