A comparative analysis of crime data from two of Pakistan's largest cities reveals a significant decline in criminal activities in Lahore over the past two years, while Karachi continues to grapple with high rates of street crime.
The official data revealed that property-related crimes in Lahore have witnessed a downward trend compared to Karachi.
In the first two months of 2025, Lahore recorded 4,686 crime cases, marking a substantial decrease from 12,739 cases in 2023 and a 25% decline from 9,566 cases in 2024.
Armed dacoity incidents dropped to just 10 in early 2025, reflecting a 52% reduction from 2023 and a 9% decrease from 2024. Similarly, robbery cases fell to 853, showing a remarkable 79% drop from 3,984 cases in 2023 and a 25% decline from 2,969 cases in 2024.
Street crime incidents, including snatching, have also declined in Lahore. In 2025, snatching cases were recorded at 839, marking a 69% drop from 2,690 cases in 2023 and a 51% decline from 1,724 cases in 2024.
Motorcycle theft incidents fell to 1,849, representing a 56% decrease from 4,178 cases in 2023 and 41% from 3,115 cases in 2024.
Vehicle theft cases stood at 262, reflecting a 42% decrease from 449 cases in 2023 and 39% from 432 cases in 2024.
Similarly, burglary incidents dropped to 688, a 35% reduction from 1,065 cases in 2023.
In contrast, Karachi continues to face serious challenges in curbing street crimes. Despite a 28.18% decline in overall street crime cases in the first two months of 2025 compared to the previous year, the numbers remain alarmingly high.
Karachi recorded 10,356 street crime incidents during this period, averaging 5,178 cases per month.
In January 2025 alone, 1,585 mobile phones were snatched, reflecting an 11.15% increase from December 2024. The city also reported 617 motorbike snatching cases and 3,413 motorbike thefts, marking increases of 25.15% and 7.84%, respectively.
Additionally, 31 cars were snatched in January 2025 — up by 29.17% from December 2024 — while 151 cars were stolen, showing a 2.03% increase.
Despite some decline in overall street crime incidents, Karachi continues to face surges in specific crime categories.
Factors such as economic hardships, unemployment, and the prevalence of illegal firearms contribute to the city's persistent crime problem.
Authorities continue their efforts to tackle the situation, but major hurdles remain in ensuring citizens' safety.
Lahore DIG Operations Faisal Kamran credited the decreasing crime trend in the city to targeted crackdowns, digital monitoring, and improved policing strategies.
He emphasised that the implementation of a merit-based posting policy has strengthened the force and increased its operational efficiency.
He further noted that despite Lahore police facing multiple security challengesincluding major events such as the Champions Trophy and the Horse & Cattle Showcrime prevention has remained a top priority.
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