MOST citizens of Karachi have either been held up at gunpoint themselves, or

have friends or family members who have gone through this terrifying ordeal. In
fact, muggers do not have the slightest compunction in pulling the trigger at
even a hint of resistance. Many valuable lives have been lost for not handing
over a mobile phone or wallet. Recent data compiled by the Citizens-Police
Liaison Committee, published in this paper on Monday, has revealed that
despite a drop in other violent crimes, the epidemic of street crime continues
unabated in the metropolis. The data says that in 2016, over 34,000 mobile
phones were either snatched or stolen across Karachi; moreover, the CPLC has
zeroed in on 60 ‘hot spots’ spread out across the vast expanse of the city that
are particularly prone to street crime. The seriousness of the situation can be
gauged by the fact that during last week’s meeting of Sindh’s Apex Committee,
the provincial chief minister ordered the administration to carry out a “vigorous
operation” against street crime.