Unemployment contributes to street crime: Rangers official

Paramilitary force official says mobile markets, traders also aid criminal activities

KARACHI: Around 70% of street criminals in Karachi are drug addicts, claimed Rangers Colonel Qaiser Khattak during a briefing on Saturday about street crime at the Rangers headquarters.

Analysing street crime and its contributing factors, Colonel Khattak said unemployment is the greatest factor behind this type of crime. Meanwhile, load-shedding, few closed-circuit television cameras, most of which are non-functional and traffic jams in the wake of protests are among other contributing factors.

He said that mobile markets and mobile traders operating without a proper mechanism or monitoring contribute greatly to crime. "Spare part purchasers are also involved in motor vehicle theft," he explained, adding that there is a lack of punishment for street criminals.



"The ratio of street crime in Karachi has decreased as compared to last year," he said, adding that criminals also select specific times to loot people withdrawing cash via ATMs. "No criminal commits a crime without a strategy," he said, adding that the Rangers have deployed personnel at different places and enhanced snap-checking.  "We have marked 550 places specially for checking," he said.

Colonel Khattak added that due to the presence of the Rangers, criminals have changed places.  "During the apex committee meetings, the Rangers have always suggested punishing street criminals through the anti-terrorism act as this will create fear among their ranks," he concluded.