Street crime in Karachi
Street crimes in Karachi have jumped manifold in recent months. One needs not be an economist or a philosopher to get to the basic causes of the worsening situation with regard to the security of life and valuables. The surging crime rate, in all probability, is the outcome of the stagflation that the country has been in for the past several years and the stress-free availability of firearms. Sometimes criminals are said to possess more cutting-edge weapons than law enforcers do.
A few days ago a businessman from a minority community lost his life and money in a daylight robbery in the upscale Clifton neigbourhood, while he was on the way after withdrawing more than Rs7 million from a bank. Robbers shot him dead when he offered resistance to them. On the same day a newly-wed young man was gunned down at his residence in another posh locality in front of his mother, sister and other family members. Nearly every day incidents of daring robberies and murder are taking place in the economic hub of the country. People are being killed on the slight resistance. Citizens are so scared that they are afraid of carrying even small amounts of cash. No one is feeling safe.
The cumulative impact of the ever-increasing load of taxes and dwindling job opportunities is showing up in the rising crime graph, including mugging. According to media reports, around 50,000 incidents of street crime occurred in the city in the first eight months of 2021. These were mostly kidnappings for ransom, murders, theft of vehicles as well as snatching of mobile phones. Criminals are increasingly targeting shopkeepers in broad daylight, leaving traders in fear of their lives and valuables.
The country needs investment for economic expansion to generate employment. Restoring the sick economy back to health is a mammoth task. The fact that the provincial CM and the KMC administrator have acknowledged the grave crime situation indicates that those at the helm are endeavouring to improve things. This will boost up the waning confidence of people in the government’s ability to enforce the rule of law.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 16th, 2022.
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