Pakistan: Karachi street crime remains high in 2025 despite police claims of decline

Karachi [Pakistan], January 1 : Despite police claims of an overall decline in crime, street criminals continued to pose a serious threat to residents of Karachi in 2025, with more than 64,000 street crime cases recorded and over 70 people killed in such incidents, Dawn reported.

Official data based on registered FIRs show that a total of 64,323 incidents of street crime, including robbery, mobile phone snatching, and vehicle snatching or theft, were reported during 2025.

However, the actual number is believed to be significantly higher, as many victims either do not approach police stations or are discouraged from registering cases, according to Dawn.

A comparison of police-maintained crime statistics shows a reduction from 71,105 street crime incidents in 2024 to 64,323 in 2025, marking a drop of 6,782 cases. Fatalities linked to street crimes also declined, with 70 people killed and 290 injured till the first week of December 2025, compared to 99 deaths and 400 injuries reported in 2024, Dawn reported. Police figures further indicate that 17,706 mobile phones were snatched at gunpoint in 2025, down from 19,353 cases in the previous year. During the same period, 6,683 vehicles, including 302 cars and 6,381 motorcycles, were hijacked, compared to 8,370 vehicles in 2024. In addition, 39,934 vehicles were reported stolen in 2025, compared to 43,382 thefts last year.

Criminologist Zoha Waseem of the University of Warwick said that comparing data from just two years does not provide a reliable measure of crime control, arguing that at least five to 10 years of data are required to determine whether crimes are genuinely being prevented or if only a perception of safety has been created.

She said many incidents go unreported as people remain reluctant to approach the police.

"There has been no research that public perception has been improved and people feel safer and the city is safe," she said.

"There is no study or survey that people's perception has improved and the people are happy about performance of the police or the government. I have not seen such thing and I am not sure about the extent of achievement of the law enforcers," she added, noting that a sustained downward trend over time would be a better indicator of success.

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