• Tells police chief citizens feel not safe on roads
• 82,700 incidents of street crime reported in one year from Karachi

KARACHI: As more than 130 people lost their lives during armed robberies in 2023, Sindh caretaker Chief Minister retired Justice Maqbool Baqar on Saturday said that people of the city no more ‘felt safe’ on roads amid growing robberies and street crimes and warned the police authorities that ‘if any such incident happened again in their jurisdiction’, strong action would be taken against the police station concerned.

The CM conveyed the stern warning to police officials through Sindh IG Inspector Riffat Mukhtar and Karachi police chief Khadim Hussain Rind during a meeting at CM House.

A strong worded statement issued by CM House after the meeting reflected the anger expressed by Justice Maqbool Baqar over the growing street crimes in Karachi and a sense of insecurity prevailing in Karachiiites.

The CM also raised the issue of sudden increase in kidnapping for ransom cases in rural areas of Sindh and also held the area police responsible for failing to perform their duties.

He directed the Sindh IG to take concrete measures to control the kidnapping for ransom cases in the Katcha area and street crimes in Karachi.

“He [Sindh CM] also made it clear that the police stations concerned would be held responsible if any such incident occurred in their jurisdiction,” said the statement. The chief minister said that citizens were losing confidence in police force and did not feel safe at all on roads and in open areas.

Deadly year ends

As 2023 is set to end today, a report recently compiled by authorities suggests that the past 12 months proved to be another deadly year for Karachiites as armed bandits freely looted citizens and felt no remorse at taking lives on flimsiest of resistance.

From January to December a total of 133 people, including women and teenagers, lost their lives in Karachi while putting up resistance to armed mugging.

The data shows in close to 82,700 street crime incidents and robberies, the people lost millions of rupee worth valuables, mainly cell phones, vehicles both [two and four wheelers], cash, jewellery, etc.

It didn’t end here as some 603 people were shot and wounded by bandits over resistance during the same year due to which many of them now are living with lifelong injuries or disabilities.

As a serious question mark hangs over the performance of the law-enforcement agency, Justice Baqar expressed disappointment that despite repeated directions to the police to ensure patrolling his “instructions were not followed in letter and spirit”.

The Sindh IG, however, said that the patrolling was being ensured and police mobiles had been properly equipped with wireless and the police stations were being upgraded on modern lines.

“The kidnapping for ransom has again started to take place in Katcha area of Larkana and Sukkur divisions. I will not tolerate the rise of such a heinous crime in the Katcha area. The police should ensure the safe and secure recovery of kidnapped persons and continue to crack down on bandits,” the statement quoted the chief minister as saying.

The chief minister and the inspector general of police discussed the tagging of repeat offenders to monitor their movements, which is done by attaching of electronic markers.

It was proposed that a bracelet with a chip could be placed in hands of criminals involved in second or third offence.

The chief minister directed the IG police to propose a draft law, which would be reviewed and introduced through an ordinance.

Published in Dawn, December 31st, 2023