61 killed, 250 injured in street crime incidents in Karachi in first five months of 2023

KARACHI: There has been no respite from the increasing incidents of street crime in Karachi, as more than 37,000 residents of the city have been deprived of their cars, motorbikes and mobile phones in the first five months of this year because the law enforcement agencies have failed to control the menace.

Besides looting people’s valuables, criminals have also taken the lives of 61 residents and wounded more than 250 others for resisting the attempts to rob them.

The number of people who had been killed during the same period last year was 26, which shows that the number of murders by robbers during street crime incidents has more than doubled this year.

Every day fresh reports are being filed by the police because there has been no let-up in incidents of street crime, while the number of killings during robbery attempts has been rising as well.

The situation in Karachi has worsened to the extent where more than 25 million residents of the megacity are left at the mercy of armed robbers, who fearlessly loot the people in any locality at anytime and shoot them if anyone resists even a little.

More than 37,000 incidents of street crime have been reported in the first five months of 2023. Data compiled through police and newspaper reports shows that 61 people were killed and 250 others were injured after robbers shot them for resisting the attempts to deprive them of their personal properties.

According to the statistics, the month of May turned out to be the worst for the residents of Karachi in terms of street crime, with 7,845 incidents being reported. Robbers looted 2,472 mobile phones, 165 cars and 5,208 motorbikes in May.

In the month of April, 7,287 incidents of street crime were reported, with robbers looting 2,253 mobile phones, 161 cars and 4,873 motorbikes. In the month of March, 7,822 incidents of street crime were reported, with robbers looting 2,577 mobile phones, 188 cars and 5,057 motorbikes.

In the month of February, 6,798 incidents of street crime were reported, with robbers looting 2,255 mobile phones, 163 cars and 4,380 motorbikes. In the month of January, 7,249 incidents of street crime were reported, with robbers looting 2,379 mobile phones, 227 cars and 4,643 motorbikes.

Apparently, in Karachi people from all walks of life can be targeted by robbers. Ordinary residents, law enforcers, businessmen, political personalities — robbers have spared no one, and they have shown no hesitation in looting or shooting anyone.

Despite the fact that dozens of lives have been lost at the hands of robbers and thousands of people have been deprived of their valuable personal properties, Sindh’s government and police keep declaring the law and order situation to be satisfactory.

The government and the police department have taken various steps to improve the law and order situation, including the forming of special police units to tackle street crime. However, none of these measures has yielded any considerable result.

Last year’s street crime data shows the deteriorating situation of law and order in Karachi, with over 81,000 incidents being reported in the city. The 2022 data shows 52,000 motorbikes and 26,400 phones being stolen, with only 4,030 stolen items (2,900 motorbikes, 600 cars and 530 phones) being recovered.

Last year robbers had killed 100 people and injured over 400 others. The data shows that 24 people were killed in District West, 23 in District Central, 19 in District East, 16 in District Korangi, nine in District Keamari, five in District Malir, and two each in District South and District City.