For most, Ramazan is a month of giving, but others focus on snatching from those out for a little Eid shopping. Robbers run rampant on the streets, depriving cash and valuable-carrying locals of their belongings.
Traditionally, Ramazan is divided into three Ashuras or 10 days and the second one this year was racked with incidents of robberies and snatching, resulting in injuries to 17 people. In the past 20 days of the holy month, four people, including a retired professor, lost their lives in incidents of robbery or mugging, As many as 33 were injured and an alleged robber was shot dead by a shopkeeper.
During the past 10 days, incidents of street crime and robberies have been on the rise. Most prominently, armed robbers looted people at a gym in Baldia Town, despite the heavy presence of police and Rangers due to the NA-249 by-elections.
Striking with impunity, muggers show little restraint in shooting the victim on the slightest sign of resistance. On April 24, Zakir Ali was shot and injured by robbers in the Kalakot area, Abdul Aziz wounded in Surjani Town on April 25, while Abdullah and Zafar were injured resisting robbery near Dua Hotel on Super Highway on April 26.
On the same day, Jahangir was shot and injured by robbers at Boat Basin, Bilal suffered gunshot wounds resisting robbers in Surjani Town and an employee of a superstore on University Road was shot dead due to a personal enmity, police said.
On April 27, six armed robbers tried to rob a shop near Niazi Chowk in Machhar Colony area of the Docks police jurisdiction. The shopkeeper opened fire and killed an alleged robber, Abdul Haq, while the other suspects fled the scene. On the same day, robbers opened fire on Kamran in Sher Shah and injured him. He later succumbed to his injuries.
In the last three days of April, Sultan suffered gunshot wounds resisting robbers near the Teen Talwar intersection at Clifton, Abdul Moiz was injured by robbers in SITE area and Salar suffered bullet injuries during a mugging at Regal Chowk, Saddar.
Meanwhile, in the Garden East area of Soldier Bazaar, Masroor and Zaman Ali were injured resisting muggers and Javed was wounded at the Habib Bank Chowrangi of SITE area. In Joria Bazaar, when people were busy shopping for iftar items, Ali and Wahab were shot and injured for resisting a robbery. Abdul Majeed was also shot and injured by robbers in the Eidgah area.
In the first 20 days of the holy month, four people were killed and 33 injured by robbers which puts a question mark on the Ramazan security plan of Karachi police.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 5th, 2021.
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