RAWALPINDI: As many as 1483 cases of homicide, including 17 cases of honour killing, were reported from 2020 to 2024, in which police arrested as many as 3,332 suspects while 1245 accused remained at large with over 100 cases having remained untraced.

273 cases of homicide were reported in 2020, and the number dropped to 246 in 2021, but it continued increasing in 2022 and 2023 with 312 and 327 homicide cases, respectively. In 2024, 325 cases were reported.

Out of the total cases in five years, 450 were related to domestic issues,93 were related to property disputes, and 128 homicides involved robbery/ransom. At least 11 cases involved rape while 551 homicides were attributed to quarrels. 104 homicides occurred due to old enmity, while 65 involved blind murders. Moreover, at least 64 people were killed during police encounters allegedly by their coaccused. A total of 3332 murder suspects were arrested, while 1245 were yet to be arrested. Likewise, the challans of 1241 cases were submitted, while in 72 cases they were cancelled.

A senior police official said that land-related issues were one of the major reasons for homicides besides white-collar crimes involving money disputes. Honour killing is another reason for murders.

`Sometimes, the entire family perished due to land disputes,` the official said, adding that land and money disputes often ended in violence lasting decades.In 2020, 273 homicide cases were reported in 2020, including four related to honour killings.

80 cases involved domestic disputes, 17 land disputes, 29 people were killed in robberies, and 111 people were killed during petty quarrels. Four murder cases were related to rape, 16 involved old enmity, and 6 people were killed during police encounters. Six blind murders were also reported.

As far as the police performance regarding submitting challans and arresting the murder suspects was concerned, the police submitted interim challans in two cases, 16 cases were cancelled, 24 cases remained untraced, and 231 cases were challaned. The police arrested 717 suspects and 145 were still at large.

In 2021, there was a slight decrease in homicide cases as 246 cases were reported compared to 273 cases reported in 2020. Of the 246 cases, four were related to hon-our killing, 77 were domestic issues, 17 were property disputes, 21 were robberies, three involved rape, 91 were simple quarrels, 11 were old enmity, 14 blind murders, and eight suspects were killed during police encounters. The police arrested 665 suspects, while 135 were yet to be arrested. Of the total, 11 cases were untraced.

In 2022, 312 homicide cases were recorded with the police, including three related to honour killing.111 cases were related to domestic issues while 17 murders took place due to property disputes. At least 15 people were killed during the robbery/ransom, and one case was related to rape.

Of the 312 homicide cases, the motive behind 115 homicide cases was petty quarrels, 26 were a result of old enmity, 20 were blind murders, and four people were killed in police encounters.

On the part of the police, 17 cases were cancelled, 23 remaineduntraced, and 272 challans were submitted to the courts. And 653 suspects were arrested while 283 accused were either at large or declared as proclaimed offenders.

In 2023, 327 homicide cases were reported compared to 312 recorded in 2022. Of the total number, four were related to honour killing, 87 were domestic issues, 20 were property disputes, and 37 were killed during robbery/ransom.

Moreover, two involved rape, 115 were petty quarrels, 33 were old enmities, 12 were blind murders, and 17 people were killed in police encounters.

Of the 327 homicide cases, 24 cases remained untraced, 288 challans were submitted in the courts, 745 suspects were arrested and 274 were yet to be arrested.

In 2024, 325 cases of homicide were reported to the district police two were related to honour killing, 95 domestic issues, 22 land disputes, 26 robbery/7ATA, 119 petty quar-rels, 18 old enmities, 13 blind murders, and 29 people were killed in police encounters.

On the other hand, interim challans of 52 cases and 243 complete challans were submitted, six cases were under investigation, and 12 cases were cancelled. And 552 suspects were arrested by the police while 408 were yet to be detained.

Another senior police official stated that when examining murders and their causes, it`s crucial to understand that a number of significant factors influenced the murder rate, including socioeconomic circumstances, law enforcement tactics, outdated revenue laws, the operations of the revenue department, and the expansion of the Rawalpindi district without town planning.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a dispute resolution council was established to resolve the land and other issues, which reduced the burden on the police.