By our correspondent
KARACHI: Shaukat Ullah Farooqi, Vice Chairman of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (Pakistan), has warned that street crime in Karachi has spiralled out of control, leaving citizens in fear for their lives and property. Speaking during a meeting with a delegation of the trader community at Afaaq Ahmed’s residence, Farooqi said that no area of the city is safe, with incidents of mobile phone snatching, motorcycle and car theft, armed robberies, cash snatching, and shootings during resistance becoming commonplace.
He highlighted that crimes occur across the city, from narrow lanes to main thoroughfares, including commercial areas, residential colonies, bus stops, underpasses, and central roads. Most attacks are carried out by two or three armed motorcyclists who snatch valuables and flee, often leaving victims seriously injured or dead. Farooqi noted a worrying increase in shootings of civilians resisting theft, creating a pervasive climate of fear and raising questions about the performance of security agencies.
Farooqi urged the Sindh government, the Inspector General of Police, and relevant authorities to take immediate and effective action to curb street crime. He called for enhanced police patrolling and for the city’s CCTV network to be used not only for issuing fines but also for the arrest of criminals. He criticized the government’s promise to make Karachi a “Safe City,” calling it “nothing more than a deception.”
