Muggers claim 100th life in Karachi this year

Karachi’s wave of street crime continues unabated. In a recent incident, robbers claimed the life of yet another young factory worker, bringing the number of people killed during robbery resistance in the city to 100 in the past nine months. Additionally, nearly 700 individuals have been injured in similar incidents.

The latest incident of street crime occurred near Mashallah Market in Surjani Town on the night between Wednesday and Thursday where two brothers were heading home after collecting their salaries. Armed robbers stopped them, and when they refused to hand over their motorcycle, the robbers opened fire, killing one of the brothers. The robbers fled after committing the crime.

Following the incident, police and rescuers reached the crime scene and transported the casualty to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for medico-legal formalities. The deceased was identified as 25-year-old Faisal, son of Ghulam Shabbir.

The brothers worked at a factory and were on their way home after receiving their pay. “As soon as we entered the area, two armed men on a motorcycle approached us. First, they pushed us, and we fell to the ground. Then, one of the robbers came with a pistol, snatched our money and mobile phones. After that he tried to take our motorcycle. My younger brother resisted, refusing to hand over the bike, and at that moment, the robber opened fire,” narrated the vicitm’s elder brother. “The robbers snatched Rs80,000 from us.” The police have registered a case and initiated an investigation.

Despite daily reports of police encounters resulting in robbers being killed or injured, street crime in Karachi remains rampant. Every day, citizens fall victim to robbers’ gunfire, losing their lives or being injured, while also being deprived of their valuables such as mobile phones, cash, and motorcycles.

According to media reports, from January to September this year, around 100 people, including law enforcement officers and women, have lost their lives due to robbers’ gunfire during street crime. Additionally, nearly 800 individuals have been injured during robbery resistance incidents, highlighting the grave security situation faced by Karachi’s residents.

Apart from these killings and injuries of citizens over robbery resistance, according to earlier reports, Karachi saw more than 50,000 criminal incidents during the first eight months of 2024. This includes more than 35,041 motorbike theft and snatching incidents, over 15,000 mobile phones, over 1,173 cases of car theft and snatching, 15 cases of kidnapping for ransom and 63 cases of extortion.

Notably, some ten people were killed in September alone, bringing the total number of fatalities from January to September to 100. Additionally, around 700 people were wounded during these nine months.

The figure shows that on average, over 200 criminal cases are reported on a daily basis in the city, with the snatching and stealing of mobile phones, cars and motorbikes being the most common. The financial impact of these incidents is estimated to be in millions of rupees.

Although the Citizens-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) has yet to release the official data for September, it’s evident that Karachi is witnessing an alarming number of street crime incidents. On average, over 200 street crime cases occur daily in the city, which brings the monthly figure to around 6,000 incidents. If we consider the period up until August, with approximately 50,000 cases already reported, and add a minimum of 5,000 to 6,000 cases for September, the total number of street crime incidents in the first nine months of this year would exceed 55,000.

This staggering figure reflects the severity of Karachi’s street crime situation, with citizens constantly falling prey to robberies, thefts, and violent encounters, further highlighting the pressing need for more effective law enforcement measures.