Home minister says crime rate declined in Karachi

KARACHI: Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar said that crime rate has declined significantly in Karachi, stating that murders on robbery resistance have halved.

Addressing the Sindh Assembly’s budget session, the home minister said that incidents of mobile phone snatching have also decreased. Ziaul Hassan Lanjar said that 586 vehicles were snatched in Karachi last year, compared to 558 this year, marking a decline.

He said 21,665 incidents occurred overall, showing improvement from the previous year. Last year, an average of 2.6 people were killed daily, whereas now, the daily average has dropped to one death due to criminal activities.

Ziaul Hassan Lanjar said that mobile phone snatching and motorcycle theft or snatching have been decreased as compared to last year.

He said e 28 robbers were killed, attributing a reduction in thefts. He also addressed concerns about drug use in schools, urging administrative cooperation with police to avoid reputational damage, and described drug addiction as a major affliction, noting that 70% of arrested street criminals are addicts often seen begging under bridges.

The home minister also outlined plans to establish a Sindh Narcotics Force and narcotics courts, which will deliver verdicts within six months.

He expressed gratitude for the low number of cases in Anti-Terrorism Courts (ATCs), indicating control over terrorism, and plans to reduce ATCs from 20 to 7, with further reductions in other Sindh cities.