Pakistan: 19 killed, 55 injured over resisting robberies during Ramzan

A police official disclosed that armed robbers were responsible for the deaths of 19 citizens in Karachi during robbery attempts.

This year, the city has seen a notable escalation in robbery-related fatalities, totalling 56, with over 200 individuals injured thus far. In comparison, the corresponding period last year saw 25 fatalities and 110 injuries due to resistance against robberies. In 2023, the figures were alarmingly higher, with 108 deaths and 469 injuries resulting from similar circumstances.

Karachi police have engaged in 425 shootouts with robbers this year, resulting in 55 dacoits being neutralized and 439 sustaining injuries. According to a report by the Citizens-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC), the first three months of 2024 saw 22,627 reported crimes, including 59 fatalities and over 700 injuries stemming from robbery resistance. Additionally, 373 cars, 15,968 motorbikes, and 6,102 mobile phones were reported stolen or snatched during this period. The CPLC report also documented 25 extortion incidents and five cases of kidnapping for ransom in Karachi, ARY News reported.

Karachi''s Police Chief, Additional Inspector General Imran Yaqoob, attributed a significant portion of the city''s crime to outsiders, including individuals from interior Sindh and Balochistan. Yaqoob highlighted that approximately 4,00,000 "professional" beggars and criminal elements flock to Karachi during Ramzan and Eid-ul-Fitr.

He also said that the city''s daily crime rate of 166 cases per day, while concerning, was comparatively lower than that of other major cities in Pakistan.

Addressing Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and other stakeholders during a meeting on April 8, Yaqoob reiterated that Karachi''s crime rate was relatively modest, averaging less than one case per police station, despite the challenges posed by external criminal elements, ARY News reported. (ANI)