Pakistan: Sindh: Crime Conundrum
On April 17, 2026, a Policeman, identified as Constable Khadim Ali Shah, was killed and another Constable, identified as Mohammed Tufail Khan, was injured in an attack by armed assailants in Manghopir area of Orangi Town in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh. Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility of the attack.
On April 17, 2026, Security Forces (SFS) arrested three TTP terrorists during a joint operation in the Lyari town of Karachi. Arms and ammunition, including a 30-bore pistol and 18 rounds, were recovered from their possession. During initial interrogation, the terrorists reportedly made key disclosures, revealing plans to carry out a major attack in Karachi.
On April 10, 2026, a worshipper, Rehan, son of Ghulam Nabi, was shot dead by unidentified assailants outside a mosque in Sector 5C-1 within the limits of the Khawaja Ajmer Nagri Police Station in Karachi. The incident occurred when armed motorcyclists opened fire on Rehan at the entrance of the Farooq- e-Azam Masjid, shortly after Fajr prayers.
On April 10, 2026, in a joint operation with a Federal Intelligence Agency (FIA), the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) arrested a target killer linked to the banned Shia outfit, Zainabiyoun Brigade, near University Road in Karachi. According to a statement issued by CTD, "During the operation, the team arrested target killer Muhammad Farhan Khan, son of Muhammad Ismail, and recovered a 9mm pistol along with a loaded magazine containing eight bullets. The pistol was used in the 2023 targeted killing. He has been involved in multiple sectarian and religious terrorist activities in the past."
According to partial data compiled by the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), 10 terrorism-related fatalities, including eight terrorists, one civilian and one SF personnel, have been reported in the current year in Sindh, thus far (data till April 19, 2026). During the corresponding period of 2025, the province recorded 12 fatalities (seven SF personnel, five civilians and one terrorist). Meanwhile, during the whole of 2025, Sindh recorded 49 terrorism-linked fatalities (26 civilians, 16 SF personnel and seven militants), as compared to 38 fatalities (15 civilians, 14 SF personnel and nine militants) in 2024, an increase of 28.94 per cent.
Civilian fatalities jumped from 15 in 2024 to 26 in 2025, an increase of 73.33 per cent. Similarly, SF fatalities increased from 14 in 2024 to 16 in 2025. Meanwhile, terrorist fatalities decreased from nine in 2024 to seven in 2025.
Other parameters of terrorism also increased in the province in comparison to the previous year. There were five major incidents (each involving at least three fatalities) in 2025, as compared to four in 2024 Similarly, the resultant deaths from major incidents increased from 13 in 2024 to 19 in 2025. The prominent major attack of 2025 happened on August 26, when TTP terrorists opened fire near the Faqira Goth area on the Site Super Highway in Karachi, killing four people and injuring one. TTP released a statement claiming responsibility for the attack.
There was also an increasing in incidents of explosion in Sindh. There were 14 such incidents in 2024, resulting in 14 fatalities, as compared to nine in 2024, resulting in 10 fatalities.
Meanwhile, out of 30 Districts in Sindh, the provincial capital, Karachi, remained the epicentre of terrorism. Out of 49 fatalities reported in the Province in 2025, Karachi alone recorded 31. The remaining 18 fatalities were reported from Kashmore District (8), Ghotki District (6). Naushahro Feroze District (2), Larkana District (1) and Badin District (1). During 2024, of 38 fatalities reported in the Province, Karachi alone recorded 27. The remaining 11 fatalities were reported from Ghotki (5). Kashmore (2), Shikarpur (2), Jacobabad (1) and Jamshoro (1).
Apart from Islamist terrorist groups, including TTP, and Baloch separatist groups, Sindhi separatist formations such as the Sindhudesh Revolutionary Army (SRA) and Sindhudesh Liberation Army (SLA), remained violently active in the region. In coordination with the Baloch separatist groups, the Sindhi outfits have been teaming up to counter Punjabi hegemony in the region. A March 2, 2025, media report noted that SRA had joined the Baloch Raji Aajoi Sangar (BRAS), an alliance of "pro-independence" insurgent groups of Balochistan, to intensify operations against Pakistan and China. In a statement, BRAS 'spokesperson' Baloch Khan disclosed that a high-level meeting was held with senior delegates from BLA, Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF), Baloch Republican Guards (BRG), and SRA.
The result of this alliance was reflected in the attack on March 4, 2025, when SRA cadres ambushed National Logistics Cell (NLC) vehicles on the Sujawal-Mirpur Bathoro Road in the Sujawal District (previously in Thatta District) of Sindh, inflicting injuries on two drivers. In a statement shared with local media, SRA 'spokesperson' Sodho Sindhi claimed that the drivers were severely injured and the vehicles were damaged. Sodho Sindhi accused the Pakistani state of "occupying Sindh" and exploiting its resources "without restraint." He alleged that Sindh's land and resources belonged to future generations of the Sindhi people and would be defended "at all costs....we will continue our resistance until the complete national independence of Sindh is achieved." Significantly, SRA attacked the NLC vehicles on March 4, just two days after the high-level meeting of BRAS on March 2. The modus operandi of the attack by SRA also followed the pattern of Baloch insurgent attacks.
Earlier, on February 15, 2025, SRA cadres attacked NLC tankers near the Mirpur Mathelo area of Ghotki District. SRA 'spokesperson' Sodho Sindhi stated that the attack was a response to what he described as the Pakistani state's exploitation of Sindh's resources: "The state diverts water from the Indus River through six canals, economically devastating and systematically oppressing the Sindhi nation." He further alleged that under the "Green Pakistan Initiative," the Pakistani military was occupying hundreds of thousands of acres of land in Sindh. Other attacks by Sindhi separatists against State institutions also reflect their grievances. On April 22, 2025, SRA cadres attacked a passenger train bound for Punjab near Guddu Chowk in the Hussainabad area of Hyderabad District. While claiming responsibility for the attack, SRA 'spokesperson Sudho Sindhi declared that the attack targeted Punjabi settlers, several of whom were reportedly injured. SRA added that the operation was carried out in protest against the "continued colonial exploitation of Sindh by the Pakistani state and military." The group alleged that the state sought to seize full control of the Indus River, which it described as the "lifeline and national identity" of the Sindhi people, with the goal of permanently disempowering Sindh. It vowed to continue its armed struggle to defend Sindhi rights and territory.
Further on June 4, 2025, SRA cadres launched a hand grenade attack on the Naseem Nagar Police Station in Hyderabad city (Hyderabad District) in the night. While claiming responsibility, SRA 'spokesperson' Sodho Sindhi alleged that the Pakistani "Punjabi state" had devised a plan for the complete occupation of Sindh's land, natural resources, and the Indus River, and that the Sindh Police were playing a key role in executing this plan, facilitating what he described as a campaign of "genocide" against the Sindhi nation. Sodho Sindhi alleged that the Sindh Police had been at the forefront of suppressing Sindh's national political protest movements and specifically pointed to the Hyderabad Police, particularly the Naseem Nagar Police Station, accusing them of violently dispersing national protests and sit-ins at the Vadhu Wah Bypass.
While State authorities have been busy suppressing the voice of Sindhi nationalists, criminals run rampage in the province, especially in Karachi. Street crime remained a major headache for the security establishment, with Karachi experiencing a troubling wave during the first three months of 2026, with over 14,000 incidents reported across the city. According to the latest data from the Citizens-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) released on April 9, the surge was marked by thousands of vehicle thefts and dozens of fatalities during robbery resistance. The fatality rate remains high, with nearly 134 people killed in the first three months alone, while resisting muggings. CPLC data revealed that, in January 2026, 3,509 motorcycles were stolen/snatched; 1,441 mobile phones were snatched; 156 cars stolen/snatched, and 50 people were killed during robbery. In February, 3,178 motorcycles were stolen/snatched, 1,237 mobile phones were stolen/snatched; 165 cars stolen/snatched, and 40 people were killed during robbery. In March, 3,467 motorcycles were stolen/snatched; 1,265 mobile phones were stolen/snatched, 157 cars were stolen/snatched; and 44 people were killed during robbery.
During the corresponding three months of 2025, Karachi had reported 16,977 street crime incidents The CPLC report said the crimes included mobile phone snatching, motorcycle theft, and carjacking with 4,298 mobile phones, 11,982 motorcycles, and 537 cars stolen or robbed between January 1 and March 31. Other notable crimes reported in the city included four kidnappings and 24 extortion incidents in just one month. The CPLC report also mentioned the tragic consequences of these crimes, with 132 people losing their lives in various incidents, including 26 deaths during resistance to robbery.
Noting the comparative decrease between the corresponding periods of 2025 and 2026, Inspector General of Sindh Police (IGP Sindh) Javed Alam Odho claimed, on April 11, that crime rate across Sindh, including Karachi, had diminished remarkably over the corresponding three months: "The overall law and order situation across Sindh is better than it had been in the near past. In Karachi also, all types of crime, including street crime, have decreased by 18pc over the last three months, while crime rate along highways and the interior Sindh districts is also showing a decline."
Despite Police claims of an overall decline in crime, street criminals continued to pose a serious threat to residents of Karachi throughout 2025, with more than 64,000 street crime cases recorded and over 70 people killed in such incidents. Sindh Police official data, based on registered FIRS, showed that a total of 64,323 incidents of street crime, including robbery, mobile phone snatching, and vehicle snatching or theft, were reported during 2025. However, the actual number is believed to be significantly higher, as many victims either do not approach Police Stations or are discouraged from registering cases. A comparison of police-maintained crime statistics shows a reduction from 71,105 street crime incidents in 2024 to 64,323 in 2025, marking a drop of 6,782 cases. Fatalities linked to street crimes also declined, with 70 people killed and 290 injured till the first week of December 2025, compared to 99 deaths and 400 injuries reported in 2024. Police figures further indicate that 17,706 mobile phones were snatched at gunpoint in 2025, down from 19.353 cases in the previous year. During the same period, 6,683 vehicles, including 302 cars and 6,381 motorcycles, were hijacked, compared to 8,370 vehicles in 2024. In addition, 39,934 vehicles were reported stolen in 2025, compared to 43,382 thefts in the previous year.
Quoting Criminologist Zoha Waseem of the University of Warwick, Dawn reported on January 1, 2026, that comparing data from just two years does not provide a reliable measure of crime control, arguing that at least five to 10 years of data were required to determine whether crimes are genuinely being prevented or if only a perception of safety has been created. She added that many incidents go unreported as people remain reluctant to approach the Police. "There has been no research that public perception has been improved and people feel safer and the city is safe," she observed, "There is no study or survey that people's perception has improved and the people are happy about performance of the Police or the Government. I have not seen such a thing and I am not sure about the extent of achievement of the law enforcers."
Although terrorism in Sindh has been contained to a certain extent, the persistently high crime rate - especially in the provincial capital, Karachi- remains a significant challenge for the state establishment, underscoring the need for sustained and comprehensive law enforcement measures. Author: Tushar Ranjan Mohanty Research Associate, Institute for Conflict Management
Author: Tushar Ranjan Mohanty
Research Associate, Institute from Conflict Management
On April 17, 2026, Security Forces (SFS) arrested three TTP terrorists during a joint operation in the Lyari town of Karachi. Arms and ammunition, including a 30-bore pistol and 18 rounds, were recovered from their possession. During initial interrogation, the terrorists reportedly made key disclosures, revealing plans to carry out a major attack in Karachi.
On April 10, 2026, a worshipper, Rehan, son of Ghulam Nabi, was shot dead by unidentified assailants outside a mosque in Sector 5C-1 within the limits of the Khawaja Ajmer Nagri Police Station in Karachi. The incident occurred when armed motorcyclists opened fire on Rehan at the entrance of the Farooq- e-Azam Masjid, shortly after Fajr prayers.
On April 10, 2026, in a joint operation with a Federal Intelligence Agency (FIA), the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) arrested a target killer linked to the banned Shia outfit, Zainabiyoun Brigade, near University Road in Karachi. According to a statement issued by CTD, "During the operation, the team arrested target killer Muhammad Farhan Khan, son of Muhammad Ismail, and recovered a 9mm pistol along with a loaded magazine containing eight bullets. The pistol was used in the 2023 targeted killing. He has been involved in multiple sectarian and religious terrorist activities in the past."
According to partial data compiled by the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), 10 terrorism-related fatalities, including eight terrorists, one civilian and one SF personnel, have been reported in the current year in Sindh, thus far (data till April 19, 2026). During the corresponding period of 2025, the province recorded 12 fatalities (seven SF personnel, five civilians and one terrorist). Meanwhile, during the whole of 2025, Sindh recorded 49 terrorism-linked fatalities (26 civilians, 16 SF personnel and seven militants), as compared to 38 fatalities (15 civilians, 14 SF personnel and nine militants) in 2024, an increase of 28.94 per cent.
Civilian fatalities jumped from 15 in 2024 to 26 in 2025, an increase of 73.33 per cent. Similarly, SF fatalities increased from 14 in 2024 to 16 in 2025. Meanwhile, terrorist fatalities decreased from nine in 2024 to seven in 2025.
Other parameters of terrorism also increased in the province in comparison to the previous year. There were five major incidents (each involving at least three fatalities) in 2025, as compared to four in 2024 Similarly, the resultant deaths from major incidents increased from 13 in 2024 to 19 in 2025. The prominent major attack of 2025 happened on August 26, when TTP terrorists opened fire near the Faqira Goth area on the Site Super Highway in Karachi, killing four people and injuring one. TTP released a statement claiming responsibility for the attack.
There was also an increasing in incidents of explosion in Sindh. There were 14 such incidents in 2024, resulting in 14 fatalities, as compared to nine in 2024, resulting in 10 fatalities.
Meanwhile, out of 30 Districts in Sindh, the provincial capital, Karachi, remained the epicentre of terrorism. Out of 49 fatalities reported in the Province in 2025, Karachi alone recorded 31. The remaining 18 fatalities were reported from Kashmore District (8), Ghotki District (6). Naushahro Feroze District (2), Larkana District (1) and Badin District (1). During 2024, of 38 fatalities reported in the Province, Karachi alone recorded 27. The remaining 11 fatalities were reported from Ghotki (5). Kashmore (2), Shikarpur (2), Jacobabad (1) and Jamshoro (1).
Apart from Islamist terrorist groups, including TTP, and Baloch separatist groups, Sindhi separatist formations such as the Sindhudesh Revolutionary Army (SRA) and Sindhudesh Liberation Army (SLA), remained violently active in the region. In coordination with the Baloch separatist groups, the Sindhi outfits have been teaming up to counter Punjabi hegemony in the region. A March 2, 2025, media report noted that SRA had joined the Baloch Raji Aajoi Sangar (BRAS), an alliance of "pro-independence" insurgent groups of Balochistan, to intensify operations against Pakistan and China. In a statement, BRAS 'spokesperson' Baloch Khan disclosed that a high-level meeting was held with senior delegates from BLA, Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF), Baloch Republican Guards (BRG), and SRA.
The result of this alliance was reflected in the attack on March 4, 2025, when SRA cadres ambushed National Logistics Cell (NLC) vehicles on the Sujawal-Mirpur Bathoro Road in the Sujawal District (previously in Thatta District) of Sindh, inflicting injuries on two drivers. In a statement shared with local media, SRA 'spokesperson' Sodho Sindhi claimed that the drivers were severely injured and the vehicles were damaged. Sodho Sindhi accused the Pakistani state of "occupying Sindh" and exploiting its resources "without restraint." He alleged that Sindh's land and resources belonged to future generations of the Sindhi people and would be defended "at all costs....we will continue our resistance until the complete national independence of Sindh is achieved." Significantly, SRA attacked the NLC vehicles on March 4, just two days after the high-level meeting of BRAS on March 2. The modus operandi of the attack by SRA also followed the pattern of Baloch insurgent attacks.
Earlier, on February 15, 2025, SRA cadres attacked NLC tankers near the Mirpur Mathelo area of Ghotki District. SRA 'spokesperson' Sodho Sindhi stated that the attack was a response to what he described as the Pakistani state's exploitation of Sindh's resources: "The state diverts water from the Indus River through six canals, economically devastating and systematically oppressing the Sindhi nation." He further alleged that under the "Green Pakistan Initiative," the Pakistani military was occupying hundreds of thousands of acres of land in Sindh. Other attacks by Sindhi separatists against State institutions also reflect their grievances. On April 22, 2025, SRA cadres attacked a passenger train bound for Punjab near Guddu Chowk in the Hussainabad area of Hyderabad District. While claiming responsibility for the attack, SRA 'spokesperson Sudho Sindhi declared that the attack targeted Punjabi settlers, several of whom were reportedly injured. SRA added that the operation was carried out in protest against the "continued colonial exploitation of Sindh by the Pakistani state and military." The group alleged that the state sought to seize full control of the Indus River, which it described as the "lifeline and national identity" of the Sindhi people, with the goal of permanently disempowering Sindh. It vowed to continue its armed struggle to defend Sindhi rights and territory.
Further on June 4, 2025, SRA cadres launched a hand grenade attack on the Naseem Nagar Police Station in Hyderabad city (Hyderabad District) in the night. While claiming responsibility, SRA 'spokesperson' Sodho Sindhi alleged that the Pakistani "Punjabi state" had devised a plan for the complete occupation of Sindh's land, natural resources, and the Indus River, and that the Sindh Police were playing a key role in executing this plan, facilitating what he described as a campaign of "genocide" against the Sindhi nation. Sodho Sindhi alleged that the Sindh Police had been at the forefront of suppressing Sindh's national political protest movements and specifically pointed to the Hyderabad Police, particularly the Naseem Nagar Police Station, accusing them of violently dispersing national protests and sit-ins at the Vadhu Wah Bypass.
While State authorities have been busy suppressing the voice of Sindhi nationalists, criminals run rampage in the province, especially in Karachi. Street crime remained a major headache for the security establishment, with Karachi experiencing a troubling wave during the first three months of 2026, with over 14,000 incidents reported across the city. According to the latest data from the Citizens-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) released on April 9, the surge was marked by thousands of vehicle thefts and dozens of fatalities during robbery resistance. The fatality rate remains high, with nearly 134 people killed in the first three months alone, while resisting muggings. CPLC data revealed that, in January 2026, 3,509 motorcycles were stolen/snatched; 1,441 mobile phones were snatched; 156 cars stolen/snatched, and 50 people were killed during robbery. In February, 3,178 motorcycles were stolen/snatched, 1,237 mobile phones were stolen/snatched; 165 cars stolen/snatched, and 40 people were killed during robbery. In March, 3,467 motorcycles were stolen/snatched; 1,265 mobile phones were stolen/snatched, 157 cars were stolen/snatched; and 44 people were killed during robbery.
During the corresponding three months of 2025, Karachi had reported 16,977 street crime incidents The CPLC report said the crimes included mobile phone snatching, motorcycle theft, and carjacking with 4,298 mobile phones, 11,982 motorcycles, and 537 cars stolen or robbed between January 1 and March 31. Other notable crimes reported in the city included four kidnappings and 24 extortion incidents in just one month. The CPLC report also mentioned the tragic consequences of these crimes, with 132 people losing their lives in various incidents, including 26 deaths during resistance to robbery.
Noting the comparative decrease between the corresponding periods of 2025 and 2026, Inspector General of Sindh Police (IGP Sindh) Javed Alam Odho claimed, on April 11, that crime rate across Sindh, including Karachi, had diminished remarkably over the corresponding three months: "The overall law and order situation across Sindh is better than it had been in the near past. In Karachi also, all types of crime, including street crime, have decreased by 18pc over the last three months, while crime rate along highways and the interior Sindh districts is also showing a decline."
Despite Police claims of an overall decline in crime, street criminals continued to pose a serious threat to residents of Karachi throughout 2025, with more than 64,000 street crime cases recorded and over 70 people killed in such incidents. Sindh Police official data, based on registered FIRS, showed that a total of 64,323 incidents of street crime, including robbery, mobile phone snatching, and vehicle snatching or theft, were reported during 2025. However, the actual number is believed to be significantly higher, as many victims either do not approach Police Stations or are discouraged from registering cases. A comparison of police-maintained crime statistics shows a reduction from 71,105 street crime incidents in 2024 to 64,323 in 2025, marking a drop of 6,782 cases. Fatalities linked to street crimes also declined, with 70 people killed and 290 injured till the first week of December 2025, compared to 99 deaths and 400 injuries reported in 2024. Police figures further indicate that 17,706 mobile phones were snatched at gunpoint in 2025, down from 19.353 cases in the previous year. During the same period, 6,683 vehicles, including 302 cars and 6,381 motorcycles, were hijacked, compared to 8,370 vehicles in 2024. In addition, 39,934 vehicles were reported stolen in 2025, compared to 43,382 thefts in the previous year.
Quoting Criminologist Zoha Waseem of the University of Warwick, Dawn reported on January 1, 2026, that comparing data from just two years does not provide a reliable measure of crime control, arguing that at least five to 10 years of data were required to determine whether crimes are genuinely being prevented or if only a perception of safety has been created. She added that many incidents go unreported as people remain reluctant to approach the Police. "There has been no research that public perception has been improved and people feel safer and the city is safe," she observed, "There is no study or survey that people's perception has improved and the people are happy about performance of the Police or the Government. I have not seen such a thing and I am not sure about the extent of achievement of the law enforcers."
Although terrorism in Sindh has been contained to a certain extent, the persistently high crime rate - especially in the provincial capital, Karachi- remains a significant challenge for the state establishment, underscoring the need for sustained and comprehensive law enforcement measures. Author: Tushar Ranjan Mohanty Research Associate, Institute for Conflict Management
Author: Tushar Ranjan Mohanty
Research Associate, Institute from Conflict Management
