Amid the rising crime rate in Karachi, Sindh’s caretaker Interior Minister Brigadier (retd) Haris Nawaz advised the citizens to keep their mobile phones in places where they cannot be stolen. The people of Karachi have been suffering from street crimes with mobile and motorcycle snatching prevalent in the metropolis.
Every other day, videos of people getting robbed by a snatcher emerged on social media but the authorities have failed to improve the situation.
In a recent statement, the interim CM said: “Keep your mobile phones in those places where they can’t get stolen. Another piece of advice is to keep your phones in the hidden pockets.” He also said that the citizens should also help the government and police in curbing the crimes. His statement drew ire from netizens who criticised the interim minister for suggesting a novel way to keep their belongings safe from snatchers.
This is the not first time a government official has made such a statement. Last year, then-Karachi police chief Javed Alam Odho denied that crimes are rising in the metropolis by blaming the traders’ community for creating a sense of insecurity in the city through media. Later, he termed a safe city project imperative for a metropolis city, saying it’s not possible to stop street crimes without a safe city project. In the first three months of 2023, over 21,000 cases of street crimes were reported in the port city.
