Karachi is once again buckling under the brunt of street crimes. According to a media report, the city of lights witnessed 11,000 incidents of robberies since the start of 2022.
Five people lost their lives, while 29 others were injured resisting robbery bids in Karachi during the first 12 days of January alone. The cases of armed robberies have since then racked up. CCTV clips are going viral on social media every other day.
As per the latest details, more than 80 persons received injuries for resisting the robberies in the last 1.5 months. Meanwhile, a total of thirteen citizens lost their lives. This also includes a senior journalist Athar Mateen, the latest case that raised concern among political leaders over the lawlessness in Karachi.
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Friday, robbers shot dead a senior journalist, Ather Mateen, who worked with a private channel, in the North Nazimabad area of Karachi. The police said Ather was on his way home after dropping his children at school when he saw armed motorcyclists robbing another citizen. He tried to foil the robbery bid by shoving his car into their motorcycle. However, the robber who fell to the ground opened fire at Mateen’s car, killing him.
The incident raised alarm. Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed condemned the killing. Meanwhile, Sindh Information Minister Saeed Ghani admitted that there has been no reduction in Karachi’s street crimes.
STREET CRIME | Rs. 1 million looted from a man from the area of Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Block 8, Rufi Dreams, #Karachi.#TOKAlert pic.twitter.com/AiduCcHCOz
— Times of Karachi (@TOKCityOfLights) February 11, 2022
Karachi’s deteriorating law and order situation
The Sindh police, on the other hand, have tried to nab the culprits in various encounters. Last night, the police killed two robbers and arrested five in three police encounters. According to details, the police encounters occurred in Karachi’s Bhains Colony and Buffer Zone. Furthermore, the police nabbed three guns, five mobile phones, and two motorcycles from the robbers.
This is not the first time that a police encounter has occurred. The police often make arrests but the culprits are then back on the streets after acquittal. Important to note, street crime in Karachi had deteriorated after the Rangers cleanup operation in 2013. However, it is once again on the rise.
According to the media report, 3,845 mobile phones were snatched in Karachi from January 1 to February 17, 672 motorcycles and 20 cars. The police department confirmed that 6,087 motorcycles and 296 cars were stolen during the said period.
Karachi has become a hotbed of street crime. Karachi is ruled by looters from rural Sindh, whether they are non-local Vaderas in the Sindh Assembly or thieves who kill during robberies in city. People are helpless and insecure at the hands of non-natives. @tariqmateen https://t.co/tbDx2sOknY
— Farhan Qureshi (@Farhan_Qureshe) February 18, 2022
Pertinent to mention, factors that contribute to street crimes are unemployment, rising poverty, increasing inflation, and urbanization. Lack of cohesion among different police branches also plays a major role. Regarding this, Additional Inspector General (Addl. IG) Ghulam Nabi Memon told the media that there was a lack of understanding between the operation wing of the police and investigation branch and different units of the police dealing with a host of crimes.