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Karachi plagued by street crime
The soaring street crimes in Karachi are now turning bloodier, claiming even lives of children, who often fall prey to stray bullets fired by criminals or those resisting robbery attempts, local media reported.
Last week three school children were killed in two separate daylight street crime incidents, triggering an outcry from residents and local politicians.
In the first tragic incident, seven-year-old Sama and six-year-old Samara were caught in an exchange of fire between two thugs and a local resident as they were walking back to their homes from their school. They were hit by stray bullets. One died on the spot, the other in hospital.
Their tragic death triggered violence in Eidgah area as angry protesters burnt tires, beat journalists and pelted the traffic with stones.
“I wish I had gone to the school to bring back my little Sama,” said a sobbing Mulla Bux, her father. “I would have saved her or died with my baby.”
In the second such incident, 11-year-old Salman was hit by a bullet fired by criminals during a mobile telephone snatching incident in Surjani Town neighbourhood.
One of the criminals was caught by the area residents and handed over to the police after a severe beating.
Police say that they are taking strict measures to control street crime in Karachi in which hundreds of people are robbed of their mobile telephones, cash or vehicles daily. Shoaib Suddle, the inspector general of Sind police, said that combating street crimes and incidents of terrorism was his number one priority.
The police now plan to install more than 2,000 cameras in the sensitive areas of the city to combat crime, he said.
However, most citizens say that they feel insecure even in the main commercial and business districts of Karachi where criminal incidents are a daily occurrence.
Majida Khatoon, a housewife, said that she and her husband have had their store looted twice.
“Once we lost our car and the second time the mobile telephones and cash we were carrying. Police failed to do anything in both cases,” she said.
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