At least 45 lives lost to street crimes in Karachi since January

KARACHI: Violent street crimes continue to rise in Karachi, with armed robbers killing at least 45 civilians during robberies in the first 138 days of 2025.

Six people were shot dead in separate incidents across the city last week alone, reflecting a disturbing increase in deadly encounters during looting.

A month-wise breakdown of reports shows that 5 people were killed in January, 10 in February, 9 in March and another 10 in April. There have already been 10 more street crime-related deaths this month.

Recent incidents include:

1. On May 2, 18-year-old Saqib was shot dead in a robbery attempt in Korangi’s Zaman Town.
2. On May 8, robbers opened fire on a man and his nephew in Surjani Town, killing the elder.
3. On May 11, two separate fatal incidents occurred: 22-year-old Anas was shot dead during a motorcycle snatching attempt in Shahrah-e-Noor Jahan, while another 22-year-old, Shiraz, was killed in Shah Latif Town.
4. On May 13, Kashif was fatally shot in Orangi Town’s Peerabad area.
5. On May 14, Kamran was killed during a robbery in Gulshan-e-Iqbal.
6. On May 15, a 10-year-old boy named Ameen lost his life after being caught in crossfire during a robbery in Landhi 89.
7. On May 16, Shah Fahad was killed in Landhi No. 4, while another youth, the son of a mosque muezzin, was gunned down during a robbery in Korangi No. 3.
8. In yet another tragic case, 18-year-old Abid was shot dead near Disco Mor in Orangi Town.

The alarming frequency and number of such incidents and fatalities have heightened public fear and raised serious questions about the deteriorating law and order situation in the city. Despite repeated appeals from citizens, meaningful and consistent police action against street criminals has still failed.

Public safety advocates and residents have urged the provincial government and law enforcement agencies to increase patrols, deploy intelligence-led operations, and strengthen the judicial process to ensure that those involved in street crime and murder are swiftly punished.