KARACHI: Expressing concern over the killing of people during street crimes in the city, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) on Friday submitted a resolution in the Sindh Assembly and demanded compensation for the victims.

The resolution, submitted by MQM-P lawmaker Taha Ahmed Khan, expressed concern over the rising incidents of street crimes in the city, stating that more than 50 people have lost their lives since the start of the year.

It said, “The house understands that most of those killed at the hands of street criminals were youth belonging to the underprivileged section of society, which is already under economic stress due to the financial situation of the country.”

The resolution acknowledged that most of those who lost their lives were the sole breadwinners of their families and proposed that compensation be given to the next of kiln of the victims.

Resolution calls for swift action, tough measures on ineffective policing

“Since the provincial government of Sindh has failed to protect the lives of its citizens, therefore the house hereby resolves and recommends a compensation of Rs5 million to the family of the deceased, a government job to one heir of the family as per their qualifications, and educational expenses for the children, if applicable,” the resolution said.

It further expressed concern that Karachi is deprived of a “safe city project”, noting that other major cities of the country have such a project in place to monitor the city through CCTV cameras.

“The house hereby recommends the immediate initiation of the ‘safe city project’ in the city, starting from districts of the city more vulnerable to street crimes, rather than the Red Zone of the city where the already protected VIPs reside,” said the resolution.

It suggested that strict action be taken against police officials, including SHOs, if they “fail to curb the crime rate in their relevant areas”.

The resolution also recommended strict actions against police officials, including the SHOs concerned, if they fail to curb the crime rate in their respective areas.

Published in Dawn, April 6th, 2024