The ongoing year is proving to be no different from 2024 for Karachi’s residents, as rampant street crime continues to claim lives. Since January, at least 19 people have lost their lives in street crime incidents across the provincial capital.
In just the last five days, five individuals have been shot and killed in various incidents. A security guard, identified as Mirza Sajid Baig, was fatally shot by unidentified street criminals in the PECHS area, with his body later shifted to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC).
On Wednesday, two more individuals were gunned down by robbers in Sohrab Goth and Quaidabad. Prior to that, on March 4, another citizen was killed by street criminals near the Quaidabad Flyover.
Among the victims was 35-year-old Babar, a distributor for a well-known beverage company and a father of two, who was shot dead while resisting a mugging attempt at his shop near the Quaidabad Murghi Khana Bridge in Shah Latif Town, as reported by The News on Thursday.
Some citizens managed to capture one of the robbers, subjected him to a severe beating, and handed him over to the police. The injured suspect was taken to Jinnah Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. According to SHO Raja Abbas, the deceased robber was carrying a 9mm pistol, but his identity remains unknown. His body has been moved to the morgue for identification.
The number of street crime fatalities in the first four days of Ramadan includes 56-year-old Khan Muhammad, a grocery store owner in Sachal, and a citizen named Imran in Shah Latif Town, District Malir. Additionally, a shopkeeper was killed on March 2 in Scheme 33.
Street crime fatalities are not new for Karachiites, who witnessed over 72,000 street crime incidents last year, affecting around 1,503 individuals, including women and children.
Meanwhile, 106 people—including an army officer, a retired commando, police officials, engineers, security guards, and women—lost their lives to street criminals, while another 300 sustained injuries.
