JI’s interim city emir holds PPP govt, LEAs responsible for rising crime

Karachi Jamaat-e-Islami interim emir Munam Zafar said on Thursday that Karachi, being Pakistan’s economic hub, should lead to the country’s advancement; however, in the last one and a half to two years, thousands have fallen victim to lawlessness here.

“In 2023 alone, 90,000 criminal incidents occurred, and so far in 2025 there have been 17,000 crimes, with 224 people murdered,” Zafar said while speaking to a press conference.

He held the Pakistan Peoples Party government and law enforcement agencies were responsible for the situation. “It is the chief minister’s responsibility; it’s been 16 years under the PPP rule, yet peace has not been established.”

The JI leader said that for the past 32 years, the city had been lifting corpses, industries had moved out, and people had left. When people’s lives were secure, they would engage in business, he said, adding that during Ramazan this year, 19 people were murdered.

“The chief minister must order law enforcement agencies to maintain peace in the city. If the situation doesn’t change, there will be protests at the Chief Minister’s House and Police Headquarters,” he said.

Zafar demanded an efficient transport system, availability of electricity and water for Karachi, saying that the federal and provincial governments instead of making verbal commitments should ensure these essentials for the Karachiites. There were 14-hour power outages in the city, he said.