HUB:
Hub is the capital city of the Hub Tehsil, located in the Lasbela District of Balochistan. Not only is it the fourth largest city in the country but it is also one of the few industrial zones in the province. Regardless of its importance to the region, the city continues to be affected by unbridled street crime.
According to recent reports, approximately 70% of the population consists of lower-middle class citizens, who during the day yearn for their bread while working long hours in factories or construction sites. Come night, however, the atmosphere of the whole city suddenly changes. Grungy alley-ways and eerie streets give thieves and criminals the perfect opportunity to go about their business. According to the locals, the most common form of crime is robbery at gunpoint, with cellphones, motorcycles and cars being stolen every other day. It is not surprising that while living in a city whose citizens have mostly been neglected, that too amid high inflation, many people have chosen the shorter and much easier route of earning a living.
These crimes should not be treated as separate isolated incidents. Rather they need to be viewed as a system. This change in perspective will urge authorities to consider the multiple factors that cause individuals to resort to petty crimes.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 8th, 2021.
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