Provincial assembly opposition leader Ali Khursheedi of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), along with MPAs Iftikhar Alam and Maaz Mehboob, attended the funeral prayers of Sheikh Muhammad Nihal, 22, who was killed by suspected robbers on Wednesday, and offered their condolences to his family.
Talking to the media, Khursheedi said that street crime is continuously rising in Karachi, and claiming the lives of the city’s youth. He criticised the Sindh government’s officers for “silently spectating and abetting the crimes committed by outsiders”.
He asserted that the MQM-P perceives street crime as not only a political issue but a humanitarian crisis, noting the widespread violence from Karachi to Kashmore. He commented that after committing robberies and murders, criminals leave unchallenged because no one holds them accountable.
He lamented that the city and the entire province have been left at the mercy of bandits. He also noted that non-local criminals and police have already distressed the residents, and now non-local rulers are politicising the issue, exacerbating the city’s wounds.
“During Ramazan 50 to 60 deaths had already occurred in the city, but merely suspending local SHOs won’t resolve the issues; practical actions are necessary.” He said Sindh is being run not by a government but by feudal lords who even prevent the assembly sessions from convening. He mentioned that a resolution has been submitted for aiding the families of the victims, emphasising the need to eliminate the feudal mentality.
He demanded that Sindh Governor Kamran Khan Tessori and other high-ranking officials take immediate action against the increasing incidents of robbery in Karachi, and ensure justice for the bereaved families.
