Karachi has recorded an alarming surge in the street crimes during March 2026, according to a report released by the Citizens Police Liaison Committee, Sindh (CPLC).According to CPLC report, a total of 3,027 motorcycles were stolen during the month of March, while a further 440 were snatched.

The data shows that citizens were deprived of 1,265 mobile phones. In addition, 140 cars were reported stolen, while 17 were taken through snatching incidents. A total of 44 murder cases were recorded in March, alongside six incidents of extortion and one case of kidnapping for ransom. 

However, no incidents of bank robbery were reported in the city during the month, according to the Citizens-Police Liaison Committee report. Separately, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Friday approved Phase-II of the Karachi Safe City Project, a major step towards strengthening urban security, surveillance and law enforcement capacity in the metropolis, with the installation of over 2,300 smart cameras and advanced monitoring infrastructure. 

Presiding over a meeting of the Sindh Safe Cities Authority (SSCA) at the CM House, the chief minister underscored that ensuring public safety through modern technology remains a top priority of his government.

The meeting was informed that Phase-II of the project envisages the installation of 2,314 smart surveillance cameras, including 870 for general surveillance, 1,300 equipped with Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) and facial recognition, 80 for traffic enforcement, 56 mobile surveillance units, and 8 dedicated to traffic signal monitoring.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)