Street crime on the rise in Karachi

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-Use of a vehicle by second or progressive owners on transfer letters is illegal, says Sindh CM while ordering crackdown against such vehicles

KARACHI: The Sindh government has failed to take action against the street criminals as over 14,051 citizens of the port city have been robbed of their cell phones in the past 11 months and no action has been taken against the street criminals.

This was revealed in a meeting chaired by Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Murad Ali Shah to review the law and order situation in the light of the forthcoming Apex Committee meeting here at the CM House.

Sindh Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kaleem Imam while briefing Sindh CM regarding crime statistics on Tuesday said that the number of extortion cases in the city has increased.

The chief minister was told that the 12,187 mobile snatching cases were reported in 2013, whereas 14,051 such cases were reported in 2018. Citing the reason of increasing cases, the IGP said that people were reluctant to register mobile snatching cases as the law and order situation was beyond pathetic in the near past which has somewhat changed now.

“Now, the law and order situation is better and people have started filing their complaints,” he said.

The chief minister said that he had provided maximum facilities to the police and also equipped them with the latest weapons and training, therefore the crime rate must come down.

IGP Kaleem Imam told the CM about the snatching of vehicles, informing that 5,118 motorcycles were snatched in 2013 and the police were able to bring the number down to 1,892 such cases in 2018. Similarly, 980 four wheelers were snatched in 2013 and the number has come down to 165 this year.

Additional IG Waliullah Dal told the chief minister that the vehicle used by the terrorists who had attacked the Chinese consulate was owned by a person who had sold his vehicle six years ago, adding that he had died after one year of making the sale. He informed that CM that the vehicle was being used on a transfer letter.

In response, the CM said that the use of a vehicle by second or progressive owners on transfer letters is illegal and directed the excise department to launch a crackdown against such vehicles.

The chief minister directed the Sindh IGP to provide bulletproof jackets to all policemen who have been deployed at important places such as consulates, CM House, Governor House, IGP office.

Shah further directed Home Secretary Kazi Kabir to recommend the compensation that should be given to the two Balochi civilians who were killed in the attack on the Chinese consulate last month.

He also inquired about the treatment of the security guard who was injured during the incident to which he was told that the guard in question was being taken care of properly.

The meeting was attended by Provincial Minister Syed Nasir Shah, CM Advisor Murtaza Wahab, Sindh IGP Kaleem Imam, Special Branch Additional IG Waliullah Dal, Principal Secretary to CM Sajid Jamal Abro, Home Secretary Kazi Kabir, Karachi Commissioner Iftikhar Shahalwani and others.