Street criminals enjoy free rein in city
The operation was initiated by the police to clear all no-go areas, apprehend criminals and demolish their hideouts. PHOTO: REUTERS
The metropolitan city is descending into total lawlessness where ruthless street criminals enjoy a free rein as they loot people at will and mercilessly kill those who resist. In the latest incident, an elderly man was shot dead on the doorstep of his house when he resisted a robbery in the Malir.
As many as 110 people have been killed by ruthless robbers in the city so far this year, while many more have been injured while resisting these criminal elements. Earlier this week, the provincial police chief gave senior officials of his force two days to improve their performance, but his orders did not work.
Ali Gul, 60, was brutally killed by armed robbers in Shah Town, Phase-I of Malir District on Saturday. His body was shifted to the JPMC for a post-mortem examination. "Ali Gul was shot and killed when he resisted the motorcycle-riding bandits during the robbery," SHO of Bin Qasim police station Gul Baig said. The perpetrators fled the scene, he said, adding that police are collecting evidence, including footage from closed-circuit TV cameras within the vicinity.
In another incident, motorcycle-riding robbers targeted a security guard of a cash van parked outside a private bank near Federal B Area in district central. The guard was in the process of collecting cash from the bank situated on Shahrah-e-Pakistan Water Pump Chowrangi when the criminals struck. They snatched the bag containing Rs170,000 in cash and made a quick getaway.
The security guard, identified as 55-year-old Parvez, had sustained a gunshot wound to the leg. Surprisingly, other security guards present at the scene did not retaliate against the robbers. Police are conducting an investigation into the incident, and footage has emerged, depicting the two motorcycle-riding bandits making their escape. Onlookers outside a nearby marriage hall were seen fleeing in fear of the robbers' gunfire as the criminals sped off towards Sohrab Goth.
To stem the rising street crimes, District Central SSP Faisal Abdullah Chachar reconstituted the Shaheen Force on October 1, distributing 76 motorcycles among 176 policemen. He emphasised that the top priority of policemen is the protection of life and property of citizens. However, the surge in brazen and unchecked incidents of robbery in district central calls into question the validity of these claims.
Community leaders are alarmed by the persistent bandit rule in the city despite the appointment of police officers based on merit.
Citizens find themselves vulnerable to street criminals, with not a single day passing without reports of someone being shot by robbers or falling victim to robberies. The fear is palpable among pedestrians, commuters, and even at city signals.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 15th, 2023.