However, Islamabad’s city administration has downplayed concerns, showing stats of lower crime off late
Islamabad police officials have disproved U.S. embassy’s claims of spike in street crimes in Pakistan’s capital city.
The U.S. Embassy in a statement has warned its citizen to remain vigilant and avoid certain areas of the federal capital due to an increase in street crime. The statement asks the citizens to be careful while withdrawing cash from ATMs and avoiding display of jewelry or other expensive accessories, keeping a low profile in general. The sectors pointed out in the statement include G-6, F-6, F-7, F-10, I-9 and I-10.
“The US citizens are reminded that police response times to reported crime can vary. The US citizens traveling within these sectors and especially while visiting markets should exercise caution and remain alert,” it said.
Islamabad administration refutes crime spree claims
Islamabad Police in its official Twitter account said that “despite negative propaganda, Islamabad Police will keep it’s morale high.” Officials pledged that the police force is committed to the cause of making Islamabad one of the safest capitals in the world.
The Deputy Commissioner of Islamabad Hamza Shafqaat in a tweet denied that there was a crime spree in the capital and said that such reports were exaggerated. To back his claim, he added the crime-related figures of Islamabad during the last three years. The violent crimes appear to be down in the city over a period of the last three years.
A safe city
Islamabad has always been relatively calm city with a low crime rate. Occasionally, the residents face small waves of crime though the local law enforcement personnel are able to control it in a brief time period. In recent years, the overall safety and security situation in Pakistan has improved and the capital has been buzzing with vloggers from around the globe. Islamabad serves as a basecamp for the international travelers who typically love the mountains in the northern parts of the country as well as the beaches in the south. Many countries over the years have withdrawn their travel advisories to Pakistan as well.