Street crimes in the city have assumed serious proportion. Youths armed with illegal weapons are roaming openly on roads of the financial hub and depriving the people from their cell phones, cash and other valuables, but the law enforcer have failed to check the menace.
The unemployed youth indulged in the activities have set their permanent pickets in some of the city areas for looting citizens. The Capital City Police (CCP) Karachi claimed to have taken stringent security measures to control and eradicate such crimes in the metropolis, but they have failed to do so.
Gulshan-e-Iqbal, a town of middle-class population, is on the top of such crimes, where incidents of snatching and thefts are very high. Armed persons freely intercept public transport on main roads to loot the passengers. Gulshan-e-Iqbal is followed by Saddar town, Clifton, Jamshaid and Gulberg towns.
In Gulshan-e-Iqbal town, armed snatchers have set pickets at Old Sabzi Mandi, New Town, Musamiate Chowrangi, Abul Hassan Isphahani Road, Maskan Gate, Gulshan Chowrangi and Disco Bakery and loot passengers in busses.
Interestingly, the above pointed grey areas are located near to the police stations of the town. The Old Sabzi Mandi and New Town points are located in front of New Town police station, Musamiate Chowrangi is 0.5 kilometer far from Sachal Goth police station, Abul Hassan Isphahani Road and Maskan Gate is 0.2 kilometre far from Mobina Town police station and Gulshan Chowrangi and Disco bakery points are just 0.5 kilometer off the Gulshan-e- Iqbal police station.
Beside this, Board Office Road in North Nazimabad town, Martin Quarters and Teen Hati in Jamshaid town, Aysha Manzil in Gulberg Town and all business and shopping centres of Saddar town and Clifton are prone to street crimes.
Keeping the deteriorating law and order situation in view, Sindh Home Department on November 2008 imposed section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code, which was enforced up to now. The ban was relaxed during April 14, 2009 to April 29, 2009, just for 19 days only, but it was imposed again owing to rise in crime rate. No difference in crime rate was recorded during this period.
According to Citizen Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) report, total 2901 people were deprived of their valuables in the city from January 01, 2010 to August 31, 2010. Among them, 798 incidents of snatching and 2103 incidents of theft were reported this year from January 01, 2010 to August 31, 2010.
In Gulshan-e-Iqbal town 1,005 four-wheelers, 1,429 two-wheelers and 1,157 cell-phones were snatched and stolen during September 01, 2009 to August 31, 2010. In Clifton 546 vehicles were snatched and stolen during September 01, 2009 to August 31, 2010. Like this, 524 cars were snatched and stolen from North Nazimabad town, 417 in Jamshaid town, 329 in Gulberg Town and 300 four-wheelers were snatched and stolen in Saddar town.
Besides, 2,299 two-wheelers were snatched and stolen in Saddar Town, 1,197 in New Karachi Town, 1,000 in Jamshaid Town and 893 motorcycles in North Nazimabad Town during September 01, 2009 to August 31, 2010. When contacted Fayyaz Ahmed Laghari, who has recently assumed charge as Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Karachi, refused to comment on the issue. "I came to attend a marriage ceremony. I have recently assumed charge as CCPO Karachi and have no idea about this issue," he added.