Crime surges in Pakistan amid economic crisis, inflation

PAKISTAN: Crime is on the rise in Pakistan as it struggles to overcome its economic crisis. The country's citizens are unable to fend for daily essentials and hunger is increasing among people.

According to Pakistan vernacular media, hunger is increasing among people instead of good standard thinking, and people are suffering from hopelessness due to the non-availability of food.

The young generation, comprising both boys and girls, is becoming drug addicts as a result of the frustration and unhappiness at educational institutions.

In Pakistan, 1200 boys and girls are becoming addicted to smoking every day, and every year, about one lakh people, die in the country due to this malpractice. More than 5,000 people are admitted to hospitals every day, Pakistan vernacular media, Daily Khabrain underlined, citing a report.

Pakistan is currently facing the worst time since its creation as the country is witnessing a food crisis, devaluation of the rupee, electricity shortage, and attacks.

Earlier, in the first week of January, Karachi Police Chief Javed Alam Odho admitted that the number of street crimes increased in the year 2022 as compared to the previous year, according to The Express Tribune.

And even now, in 2023, the crime rate across the South-Asian country remains persistent and has been witnessing an upward trend.

Amid the depreciation of the value of the Pakistani rupee, street crime increased in Pakistan, especially in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad, according to Business Brecorder.

The rise in street crime is a symptom of a deeper malaise in Pakistan's society, stemming from issues of growing inequality, poverty and unemployment.

In Pakistan, there are some gangs that are becoming unchallenged. For instance, Karachi, the country's largest urban centre, where some statistics claim the rate of street crime has come down from its peak some years back. But it is there, nonetheless.

According to the Business Brecorder citing the Citizens-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC), Karachi has witnessed an alarming increase in street crime. More alarmingly, people are shot dead by robbers for putting up resistance. During the first three months of the year 2023, more than 21,000 cases were reported, though the number of unreported cases must be much higher.

Robbers took the lives of as many as 34 people and injured 150, while the number of incidents of snatching of cars, motorcycles and mobile phones crossed the 20,000 mark.

Even in Rawalpindi, the street crime cases are high as 89 cases were reported to police in which 29 people lost their motorcycles, 42 mobile phones and gold jewellery worth over Rs 3.5 million, reported Dawn.

All cases were registered with the police and an investigation was launched, however, street crime continued unabated in the city.