Almost 19,000 residents of Karachi were robbed in the first three months of the current year 2023, leaving the city’s residents at the mercy of street thugs.
The city’s incidences of motorcycles being taken at gunpoint couldn’t be stopped, disproving the exaggerated assertions of police officials.
According to information provided to a local news channel, during the first three months of 2023, more than 19,000 people had their motorcycles, mobile phones, and vehicles taken away from them, and 34 people lost their lives due to resistance.
In January, there were more than 7,000 street crimes reports; in February, there were as many as 6,500.
In March 2023, more than 6,000 citizens lost access to their valuables.
Despite the release of CCTV footage from numerous cases, the police have not been able to apprehend street criminals.
Street Crimes and Karachi City
On the other hand, less than 5% of the stolen items have been found by the police through various operations. Businesspeople and shopkeepers in Karachi earlier in March threatened to shut down all marketplaces in protest of the “increasing street crimes” in the city.
In a statement to the media, Mohammad Rizwan Irfan, the president of the Karachi Electronic Dealers Association (KEDA), claimed that the Sindh government had “completely failed” to control street crime in Karachi.
He cited a recent incident in which a “Rickshaw gang” stole mobile phones and cash worth Rs. 15 million from a store in the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) area.
Rizwan Irfan stated, “The location of robbed mobile phones was traced to Manghopir,” and alleged that after filing an application, the Manghopir police station did nothing.
To read our blog on “Street crimes in Karachi: a study that raises concerns,” click here.
