Karachi: Pasban Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman Altaf Shakoor expressed concerns over the increasing issues of street crime and encroachments in Karachi, criticizing the local government and police for their lack of effective intervention.

According to Pasban Democratic Party, Shakoor highlighted the rampant street crime in Karachi, contrasting the city unfavorably with Lahore and Islamabad. He described the police’s focus on extorting money from citizens rather than protecting them and pointed to the slow implementation of modern surveillance technology, including artificial intelligence, as exacerbating the problem. Shakoor also criticized the Sindh home department for its inadequate training in modern policing methods and accused some police officers of collusion with criminals in both rural and urban areas.

Furthermore, Shakoor denounced the recurring government announcements of operations against roadside encroachments as ineffective and deceptive, claiming that corrupt relationships between police, the Karachi Municipal Corporation (KMC), and illegal encroachers make these operations futile. He noted that even major thoroughfares like the M-9 highway suffer from widespread illegal activities, including the misuse of green belts for parking and trading.

Shakoor called for the appointment of capable ministers to the Sindh home and local government departments to address these issues effectively. He urged the Sindh High Court to take suo moto action to alleviate the public’s burden from these ongoing challenges, emphasizing the need for serious reforms to achieve a crime-free society in Karachi.