Amid an alarming surge in vehicle-related crimes, over 537 cars and 11,982 motorcycles have been snatched or stolen across Karachi in just the past three months of 2025, highlighting the city police’s persistent failure to establish an effective deterrent against such offences.
According to data compiled by the Citizens-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC), a total of 537 cars — 182 in January, 195 in February, and 160 in March — were either snatched or stolen in Karachi over the past three months. During the same period, 11,982 motorcycles were also taken away from citizens, with 4,030 incidents reported in January, 3,773 in February, and 4,179 in March.
Each year, thousands of Karachi residents lose their vehicles — often their primary means of livelihood or daily commute — with little hope of recovery. According to data compiled by the CPLC and newspapers, more than 90 per cent of stolen or snatched vehicles are never recovered, largely due to the absence of a preventive policing strategy and widespread apathy after victims report the crimes.
One such victim, Zeeshan, son of Islamuddin, had his motorcycle stolen from Gulshan-e-Iqbal on February 27. While he promptly lodged a First Information Report (FIR No. 125/25) at the Gulshan-e-Iqbal Police Station, the case was forwarded to the Anti-Vehicle Lifting Cell (AVLC), the Karachi police unit tasked with investigating vehicle thefts. From there, his case disappeared into a bureaucratic labyrinth.
“The process is so slow that by the time AVLC even begins looking into the case, the stolen bike is likely already in any another province like Balochistan, rural Sindh, or even Punjab—or dismantled for parts,” said Zeeshan, who is a resident of Malir abd affiliated with a private media organisation, as he shared his ordeal.
On February 27, his Suzuki 150cc motorcycle was stolen from a friend’s apartment complex in Gulshan-e-Iqbal despite being locked with multiple security devices, including a wire lock.
“I had secured my bike as best as I could. When I came back around midnight, it had vanished,” Zeeshan said. “I immediately called Police Helpline 15 and was advised to go to the Gulshan-e-Iqbal Police Station but registering the FIR proved to be a battle in itself.”
He said that the duty officer kept making excuses to avoid filing the report. “When I pressed harder, he used abusive language,” Zeeshan recalled.
It was only after he contacted an acquaintance who reached out to the area Station House Officer (SHO), Rao Naeem, that the FIR was finally registered.
Zeeshan’s troubles, however, had just begun. He was directed to the AVLC office within the premises of the Sharea Faisal police station on Drigh Road to follow up on the investigation, only to find the office nearly deserted.
“There was only one policeman present. He told me officers rarely showed up and handed me a contact number for a police officer, Raja Rizwan,” said the complainant. “Since then, I have been calling and messaging the AVLC officer, but no one responds.”
Later, he was told that an officer named Shahzad had taken over his case. But when Zeeshan finally managed to reach him, Shahzad denied knowing anything about the complaint.
“Since the day my bike was stolen, there has been no investigation officer assigned, no site visit, not even a formal statement recorded,” Zeeshan claimed. “We even approached the
AVLC police chief who promised to look into it, but nothing happened and he too has stopped responding.”
Zeeshan’s ordeal is far from unique. Each year, countless citizens like him lose their valuable cars and motorcycles to thieves and have to run from one police station to another or knock on the doors of AVLC offices with the faint hope that their stolen vehicle might one day be recovered. Only a handful of such people are fortunate.
According to the CPLC data for 2024, 2,085 four-wheelers and a staggering 50,062 motorcycles were stolen or snatched in Karachi — which is an average of 173 cars per month or five to six cars per day, and 4,171 motorcycles per month and 137 per day.
The extent of the police inefficiency in these cases can be gauged from the fact that until mid-2024, the CPLC regularly shared both theft and recovery data. However, it quietly stopped publishing recovery figures thereafter. Yet, even a glance at the available data from January 2024 paints a grim picture—offering more than enough insight into the alarming recovery performance.
In January 2024 alone, 5,497 four wheelers and two-wheelers were reported stolen and snatched, and only 306 were recovered—a mere 5.7 per cent recovery rate.
A senior police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, attributed the crisis to outdated policing practices. “Criminals don’t fear being caught. Stolen vehicles are often out of Karachi within minutes or hours and victims are left bouncing between police stations just to get their complaints registered,” he said.
The officer called for a revamp of the city’s vehicle theft response strategy. “When a complaint is received via Helpline 15, every police station in the city should be alerted. FIRs should be registered without delay, and all relevant departments, including AVLC and traffic police, must be notified. City’s entry exit points should go on high alert and informants be activated to track down the criminal networks involved,” he recommended. “Until then criminals will continue exploiting these systemic gaps.”
When repeatedly contacted by The News for comment, AVLC SSP Bashir Brohi and AVLC officer Raja Rizwan did not respond.