KARACHI: A significant decline in the number of targeted killings in Karachi has been witnessed in 2016 as compared to 2015 showing 72 per cent drop, it emerged on Wednesday.

A recent report compiled by the inspector general of Sindh police shows that the police recorded 45 targeted killings in the city last year, which it described as a huge drop as compared to 159 such killings in 2015.

“It shows the city is increasingly gaining peace though still a lot of work has to be done, because such killings have not been fully ended,” said a senior official.

The report discussing crime and militancy in Sindh, however, does not show any visible improvement vis-a-vis incidents of terrorism. It shows six terrorist incidents last year while seven such incidents occurred in 2015.

Some 188 cases of extortion were registered last year which were 27pc less than 256 such cases in 2015.

Murder incidents also showed a considerable reduction last year, which were recorded as 1,482 against a whopping 2,087 violent killings in 2015.

Similarly, 641 robberies were committed in the province last year, while such number was 811 in 2015, recording 21pc decline.

The incidents of kidnapping for ransom showed just 12pc drop last year. They were 47 in 2016, 12pc less than 53 such cases in 2015.

Giving division-wise details, the report says that 16 persons were kidnapped in Karachi last year and all of them returned or were recovered.

The number of kidnappings was highest in Larkana division, in which 21 people were kidnapped for ransom. All of them returned or were recovered.

Five kidnappings were reported in Benazirabad division, three in Sukkur and two in Hyderabad. All of the victims either returned or were recovered. There was no such incident reported in Mirpur­khas division.

The report adds that during the action conducted by the law-enforcement agencies, 11 ‘kidnappers’ were killed, while 26 of them were arrested.

The report claims that the police records noted a decrease in all major types of crime.

It adds that 60pc decrease in casualties of law-enforcement agencies’ personnel was recorded.

“The number of policemen martyred last year remained 41, while we lost 90 brave policemen in 2015,” the report says.

Published in Dawn, February 23rd, 2017